HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many permanent staff of the House of Commons are classed as  (a) staff without posts and  (b) part of a people action team.

Nick Harvey: None. The House does not classify any staff as being without posts, and does not have people action teams.

Morning Star

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many copies of the  Morning Star publication the House subscribes to each week; and at what cost.

Nick Harvey: The House receives seven copies of the  Morning Star on sitting days, four copies on non-sitting days and two copies on Saturdays, at a cost of £4.00, £2.20 and £1.00 per day respectively.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the chief executive of the Child Support Agency to resolve the case of Mr William O'Sullivan.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 2 July 2008
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency to resolve the case of Mr William O'Sullivan.
	As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.

Departmental Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the effect on his Department's expenditure would be from increasing the employee contribution to each pension scheme for which his Department is responsible by one per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) on 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 630W.

Departmental Retirement

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the standard retirement age in his Department is; and how many people worked beyond the standard retirement age in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The Department for Work and Pensions has no standard retirement age for staff below the senior civil service.
	The Department has, since October 2003, operated a policy where staff could remain in employment after reaching age 65.
	Numbers of staff employed by DWP, below the senior civil service, aged 65 and over, since 2003 are as follows:
	
		
			  As at 30 September each year  Number 
			 2003 29 
			 2004 124 
			 2005 220 
			 2006 351 
			 2007 511 
		
	
	As at 31 March 2008, the latest date for which data are available, 604 staff in DWP are aged 65 and over.
	 Background  i nformation
	At 31 March 2008 DWP had 113,792 staff (102,371 full-time equivalents), of whom 604 (0.5 per cent.) are aged 65 and over. DWP has 4498 staff aged 60-64 inclusive, 3.9 per cent. of the workforce.
	Staff can retire, if they wish, when they reach civil service minimum pension age. For most staff that is age 60, but they are not obliged to retire at that age and there is no standard retirement age.
	All Departments have delegated authority from Cabinet Office to determine their own retirement age for staff below the senior civil service. DWP was the first Department to abolish mandatory retirement age for all staff below the senior civil service; an important move which supports the Government's agenda of extending working life. 50 per cent. of civil servants now work in Departments which have no retirement age.
	Terms and conditions of employment for staff in the senior civil service are managed centrally by the Cabinet Office. DWP does not have delegated authority to determine their retirement age which remains at 65, consistent with the national default retirement age introduced by the Age legislation.
	Staff aged 65 and over are treated in exactly the same way as all other staff; no special management arrangements are in place.

Income Support: Disabled

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to allow claimants of income support with a disability element to receive weekly payments.

James Plaskitt: All claims to income support are currently paid on a weekly basis in arrears.
	From April 2009 all new claims to income support will be paid fortnightly in arrears in line with employment and support allowance (ESA) which will be introduced in October 2008.
	Weekly payments will be considered in exceptional circumstances and for up to 26 weeks. A customer's disability would not, of itself, justify weekly payment.

National Insurance: Romania

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers were issued to  (a) Romanian and  (b) Bulgarian citizens in each quarter since 1 January 2007.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 805W. This provides the latest available National Statistics data on national insurance numbers issued to Romanian and Bulgarian nationals.

Pension Credit

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much pension credit has cost to administer in each year since October 2003.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested on the cost of administering pension credit is not available from October 2003. The earliest date from which any information is available is April 2004.
	Such information as is available is in the following table:
	
		
			  Pension credit administration costs 
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 212 
			 2005-06 233 
			 2006-07 190 
			 2007-08 171 
			  Note: These figures have been taken from the Activity Based Information and its successor Activity Based Management.  Source: Activity Based Information

Post Office Card Account

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the contract for the Post Office Card Account will be awarded; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The Post Office card account contract was awarded in 2002 and runs from 2003 to 2010.
	We are currently in the process of procuring a successor to the existing Post Office card account. An announcement on the successful bidder will be made in accordance with appropriate procurement rules later this year.

Poverty

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of  (a) children,  (b) families,  (c) pensioners and  (d) working age households were in persistent poverty in each year since 1997 for which information is available.

Stephen Timms: Persistent poverty figures are presented for children, pensioners and working age adults in the "Low income Dynamics" publication. Analysis of persistent poverty usually focuses on individuals in persistent poverty, which is defined as an individual being in a household with an income below 60 per cent. of median income in at least three out of four years.
	The information is in the tables.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of children, working age adults and pensioners below 60 per cent. of median income in at least three out of four years, before housing costs, Great Britain 
			   Children  Pensioners  Working age adults 
			  Before housing costs  Number (millions)  Percentage  Number (millions)  Percentage  Number (millions)  Percentage 
			 1997 to 2000 2.0 17 2.0 20 2.5 7 
			 1998 to 2001 2.1 17 2.2 21 2.4 7 
			 1999 to 2002 2.1 17 1.9 19 2.3 7 
			 2000 to 2003 1.9 15 1.9 18 2.3 7 
			 2001 to 2004 1.7 13 1.7 16 2.2 7 
			 2002 to 2005 1.5 11 1.6 15 2.1 6 
			  Source:  DWP analysis of British Household Panel Study, 1991 to 2005. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and proportion of children, working age adults and pensioners below 60 per cent of median income in at least three out of four years, After Housing Costs, Great Britain 
			   Children  Pensioners  Working age adults 
			  After housing costs  Number (millions)  Percentage  Number (millions)  Percentage  Number (millions)  Percentage 
			 1997 to 2000 2.6 22 2.2 22 3.2 9 
			 1998 to 2001 2.6 22 2.2 22 3.1 9 
			 1999 to 2002 2.6 21 1.9 18 3.0 9 
			 2000 to 2003 2.4 19 1.7 16 2.8 8 
			 2001 to 2004 2.2 17 1.6 15 2.8 8 
			 2002 to 2005 2.2 17 1.4 13 2.8 8 
			  Notes:  1. These statistics are based on data from the longitudinal British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) run by the university of Essex Institute for Social and Economic Research.  2. The same methodology is employed here as in the DWP publication, "Low Income Dynamics 1991 to 2005". The proportions provided above are taken from this publication.  3. The table shows the number and percentage of each group who are below 60 per cent. of median income in at least three out of four years in a series of consecutive four year periods. This is the most common definition of persistent poverty.  4. The table presents results on the persistence of low income on both before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC) measures. However the housing costs in the BHPS differ from ones used in the households below average income publication. The BHPS defines housing costs simply as weekly gross housing costs recorded on the BHPS. Rents include service and water charges, but these are excluded from the housing costs of mortgage payers. In addition, BHPS includes both repayments and interest in the housing costs of mortgage payers whereas HBAI excludes repayments from housing costs.  5, Numbers of children, pensioners and working age adults below 60 per cent. of median income in at least three out of four years have been rounded to the nearest 100,000, while proportions of children, pensioners and working age adults have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.  Source:  DWP analysis of British Household Panel Study, 1991 to 2005.

Poverty: Children

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of children were living in working households earning less than 60 per cent. of the median income in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of all children living in working households below 60 per cent. contemporary median household income 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			  Coverage  Number (millions)  Percentage of all children  Number (millions)  Percentage of all children 
			  GB 
			 1997-98 1.7 13 2.2 17 
			 1998-99 1.7 13 2.3 18 
			 1999-2000 1.6 13 2.2 17 
			 2000-01 1.5 12 2.1 16 
			 2001-02 1.5 12 2.0 16 
			  
			  UK 
			 2002-03 1.5 12 2.1 16 
			 2003-04 1.5 11 1.9 15 
			 2004-05 1.5 11 2.0 15 
			 2005-06 1.5 12 2.2 17 
			 2006-07 1.6 13 2.3 18 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on households below average income data which is sourced from the Family Resources Survey.  2. The reference period for households below average income figures is single financial years.  3. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  4. Net incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Income tax payments, national insurance contributions, council tax/domestic rates and some other payments are deducted from incomes.  5. The figures are based on OECD equalisation factors.  6. Figures have been presented on both a before housing cost and after housing cost basis. For before housing cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing cost they are. This means that after housing cost incomes will generally be lower than before housing cost.  7. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 children, while proportions of children have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.  8. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.  9. A working household has been defined as a household where at least one adult is in work.  10 Families are defined as a single adult or couple living as married and any dependent children, including same sex couples (civil partners and cohabitees) from January 2006. A household is made up of one or more families.  Source:  Households Below Average Income, DWP

Social Security Benefits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many extra-statutory payments due to a loss of statutory entitlement were made by  (a) his Department,  (b) the Child Support Agency,  (c) Jobcentre or Jobcentre Plus,  (d) the Disability and Carers Service,  (e) the Pension Service,  (f) the Rent Service and  (g) the Debt Management Service was in each year since 1997; and what the (i) average value and (ii) total amount of payments in each year was.

James Plaskitt: The Department is focused on providing high standards of customer service and seeks to provide rapid and satisfactory resolution of any customer complaints. In the event that departmental error or delay may have an adverse effect on a customer, the Department operates a discretionary scheme providing financial redress.
	The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.
	Extra statutory payments due to loss of statutory entitlement:
	
		
			   Payments  Amount (£)  Average (£) 
			  JCP
			 2007-08 400 626,500 1,570 
			 2006-07 550 654,700 1,190 
			 2005-06 750 880,000 1,170 
			 2004-05 525 762,000 1,450 
			 2003-04 1,550 1,865,000 1,200 
			 2002-03 2,000 2,972,700 1,490 
			 
			  DCS
			 2007-08 175 168,700 960 
			 2006-07 175 173,500 990 
			 2005-06 200 262,800 1,310 
			 2004-05 150 344,300 2,290 
			 2003-04 150 300,000 2,000 
			 2002-03 125 218,800 1,750 
			 
			  TPS
			 2007-08 75 204,500 2,750 
			 2006-07 150 481,900 3,210 
			 2005-06 225 728,800 3,240 
			 2004-05 325 723,800 2,230 
			 2003-04 600 645,600 1,080 
			 2002-03 600 802,000 1,340 
			  Notes: 1. DWP's customers interact with the Department through its agencies/businesses and any extra statutory payments due to loss of statutory entitlement are made at the agency/business level, rather than centrally.  2. Extra statutory payments are made to provide redress where due to misadvice or other error a person loses the opportunity to receive a benefit.  3. Number of payments rounded to the nearest 25, the amount rounded to the nearest £1,000 and the average rounded to the nearest £10. 4. No payments are made by the Child Support Agency as there is no statutory entitlement to child support maintenance. 5. Debt Management is not an Executive agency of DWP. A consolatory payment awarded because of error by Debt Management is paid by Jobcentre Plus. 6. The Rent Service (TRS) was formed in October 1999 as an Executive agency of the Department of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. TRS became an Executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions in June 2001. The Rent Service has not made any consolatory payments. 7. The Pension Service, Jobcentre Plus and the Disability and Carers Service ¦were formed in 2002, prior to this they were part of the Benefits Agency (BA).

Social Security Benefits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many ex-gratia payments due to  (a) delay and  (b) actual financial loss were made by (i) his Department, (ii) the Child Support Agency, (iii) Jobcentre or Jobcentre Plus, (iv) the Disability and Carers Service, (v) the Pension Service, (vi) the Rent Service and (vii) the Debt Management Service in each year since 1997; and what the (A) average value and (B) total amount of each type of payment made in each year was.

James Plaskitt: The Department is focused on providing high standards of customer service and seeks to provide rapid and satisfactory resolution of any customer complaints. In the event that departmental error or delay may have an adverse effect on a customer, the Department operates a discretionary scheme providing financial redress.
	The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following tables.
	Ex-gratia payments due to delay:
	
		
			   Payments  Amount (£)  Average (£) 
			  CSA
			 2007-08 1,950 400,000 200 
			 2006-07 1,925 357,400 190 
			 2005-06 2,100 189,300 90 
			 2004-05 1,725 135,200 80 
			 2003-04 800 145,800 180 
			 2002-03 725 158,500 220 
			 2001-02 925 189,400 200 
			 2000-01 825 175,100 210 
			 1999-2000 725 250,100 340 
			 
			  JCP
			 2007-08 1,550 779,000 500 
			 2006-07 1,650 779,200 470 
			 2005-06 2,100 852,700 410 
			 2004-05 2,850 776,900 270 
			 2003-04 7,975 1,486,200 190 
			 2002-03 7,125 1,566,800 220 
			 
			  DCS
			 2007-08 1,150 479,500 420 
			 2006-07 1,000 454,800 450 
			 2005-06 1,125 934,200 830 
			 2004-05 1,650 489,900 300 
			 2003-04 1,050 295,800 280 
			 2002-03 700 264,000 380 
			 
			  TPS
			 2007-08 4,925 1,096,500 220 
			 2006-07 6,325 1,902,400 300 
			 2005-06 16,625 6,648,700 400 
			 2004-05 9,175 2,262,400 250 
			 2003-04 1,750 436,400 250 
			 2002-03 2,400 615,500 260 
		
	
	Ex-gratia payments due to actual financial loss:
	
		
			   Payments  Amount £  Average £ 
			  CSA
			 2007-08 4,725 3,400,600 720 
			 2006-07 4,725 2,448,900 520 
			 2005-06 5,925 3,096,900 520 
			 2004-05 7,125 2,440,400 340 
			 2003-04 4,900 1,362,500 280 
			 2002-03 5,875 1,313,700 220 
			 2001-02 6,325 1,633,500 260 
			 2000-01 5,225 1,907,100 360 
			 1999-2000 3,700 1,788,100 480 
			 
			  JCP
			 2007-08 1,000 145,200 140 
			 2006-07 1,675 235,900 140 
			 2005-06 1,800 206,500 110 
			 2004-05 2,200 220,000 100 
			 2003-04 725 242,800 330 
			 2002-03 825 227,300 270 
			 
			  DCS
			 2007-08 150 14,700 100 
			 2006-07 150 17,500 120 
			 2005-06 150 32,200 220 
			 2004-05 225 28,000 120 
			 2003-04 325 35,400 110 
			 2002-03 225 44,200 200 
			 
			  TPS
			 2007-08 550 153,700 280 
			 2006-07 450 113,300 250 
			 2005-06 525 84,700 160 
			 2004-05 950 124,300 130 
			 2003-04 550 90,500 160 
			 2002-03 500 52,300 100 
			  Notes: 1. DWP's customers interact with the Department through its agencies/businesses and any ex- ratia payments due to delay and actual financial loss are made at the agency/business level, rather than centrally. 2. Delay: made for the loss of the use of money, arising where payments have been unreasonably delayed (payment is made in the form of interest on the arrears due). The percentage rate for calculating compensation is the same for all benefits. The Building Societies Commission provided the rate on a monthly basis until January 2008. Since then the rate is obtained from the Bank of England. 3. Actual financial loss: made in respect of losses incurred by customers as a direct result of agency error. 4. Number of payments rounded to the nearest 25. Amount rounded to the nearest £1,000 and the average rounded to the nearest £10. 5. Debt Management is not an Executive agency of DWP. A consolatory payment awarded because of error by Debt Management is paid by Jobcentre Plus. 6. The Rent Service (TRS) was formed in October 1999 as an Executive agency of the Department of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. TRS became an Executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions in June 2001. The Rent Service has not made any consolatory payments. 7. The Pension Service, Jobcentre Plus and the Disability and Carers Service were formed in 2002, prior to this they were part of the Benefits Agency (BA).

Social Security Benefits: Part Time Employment

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have had benefits withdrawn or reduced as a result of taking up part-time work in  (a) Leeds West,  (b) Leeds metropolitan district and  (c) the UK in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

State Retirement Pensions

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals are in receipt of a state pension.

Mike O'Brien: As at November 2007 there were around 11.98 million individuals receiving a state pension.
	 Note:
	Amount has been rounded to the nearest 10,000
	 Source
	DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

WALES

Youth Offending Teams

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of youth offending teams in Wales.

Paul Murphy: Our Welsh Youth Justice Teams are working hard to direct young people in trouble away from the formal youth justice system so that formal interventions are reserved for those who really need them.

GP Registration

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Minister on patients resident in England of GPs registered in Wales.

Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with the First Minister on a range of issues, including the delivery of health care.

Hospital Waiting Times

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on hospital waiting times for cross-border in-patients.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I regularly meet with the Assembly Minister for Health and Social Services, when we discuss a range of issues, including the significant fall in waiting times in Wales over the past 10 years.

Post Office Card Account

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the future of the Post Office Card Account in Wales.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My right hon. Friend and I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues including the Post Office card account.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is currently in the process of securing a successor to the current Post Office card account. I understand that an announcement will be made later this year.

Neighbourhood Policing

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the operation of neighbourhood policing in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: I welcome the fact that since April Welsh communities have been fully covered with neighbourhood policing teams dedicated to tackling their local crime and antisocial behaviour priorities. This achievement follows three years of hard work by forces and police authorities.

Fuel Prices

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with representatives of businesses in Wales on the economic impact of high fuel prices.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In May I met with representatives of the Freight Transport Association Wales to discuss various issues including fuel prices.

Cross-Border Health Provision

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on cross-border health issues.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My right hon. Friend has regular meetings with the First Minister when he discusses a range of issues, including health issues affecting cross border areas.
	We welcome the work of the Welsh Affairs Committee on the delivery of health services in cross border areas, and look forward to seeing its report in due course.

Legislation

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on procedures for introducing legislation at its request in Westminster.

Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government on a range of issues, including procedures for introducing legislation to Parliament. I am also currently undertaking a review of scrutiny arrangements for Welsh legislation.
	We are committed to giving the National Assembly for Wales new law-making powers. We brought forward the Government of Wales Act 2006 and we are working closely with the Welsh Assembly Government to implement its provisions.

Departmental Aviation

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many individual domestic air flights were undertaken within Great Britain by representatives of his Department in the most recent year for which figures are available; and at what cost.

Paul Murphy: Ministers and Officials in the Wales Office made a total of 16 domestic flights in the financial year 2007-08 at a cost of £2,235.44.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what IT contracts his Department has entered into in the last two years.

Paul Murphy: My Department's main IT services are provided through the Ministry of Justice, but the Wales Office let a contract to host our website to Eduserv on 1 December 2007, at a cost of £4,659 initially and £6,936 per year for two years.

Departmental ICT

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff have access to his Department's IT infrastructure at their home.

Paul Murphy: Eight members of staff have laptops and related equipment which enables them to work from home, and 11 members of staff have blackberry devices which give them limited access to some facilities only.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Murphy: The amount claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers is:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 2,520.71 
			 2005-06 2,037.60 
			 2006-07 2,671.39 
			 2007-08 1,462.17 
		
	
	Records kept before 2004 do not separate these costs, and this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All official travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the ministerial code and the Civil Service management code.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the euro changeover plan of his Department was last updated; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version.

Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle) on 17 June 2008,  Official  R eport, column 886W.

Government Communications

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies (i) are classified as Government communicators and (ii) have access to the Government communication network.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has three members of staff who are classified as Government communicators, and all three have access to the Government communication network. The Wales Office does not have any agencies.

Morning Star

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many copies of the  Morning Star publication his Department subscribes to each week; and at what cost.

Paul Murphy: None.

Radioactive Materials: Waste Disposal

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the implications for Wales of the Government's strategy for the disposal of radioactive waste.

Paul Murphy: There have been detailed discussions between UK Government Departments and the Welsh Assembly Government in preparation of the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely White Paper.
	The Welsh position is set out in the White Paper and we are pleased that the Assembly Government continues to play a full part in the programme. This will ensure the implementation of a framework appropriate to the needs of Wales and that the interests of Wales are taken into account.

Wood

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how much timber and timber products were procured by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what cost;
	(2)  how much timber and timber products were procured by his Department originating from independently verified legal and sustainable sources or from a licensed FLEGT partner in each of the last five years; and at what cost.

Paul Murphy: Some timber was used as part of maintenance works undertaken in my Departments London office, which were carried out between 2004 and 2007. The cost of this element could not be separated from the wider maintenance contract.
	All timber used by my Departments managing agents, in carrying out maintenance work since 2004, is from a sustainable source.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Departmental Buildings

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the cost was of the recent refurbishment of the Electoral Commission's offices in London.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the recent refurbishment work on its offices in London was undertaken by the landlord of the building. The works were funded directly by the landlord and as such, the costs are unknown to the Electoral Commission. No costs were incurred by the Electoral Commission.

Departmental Location

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what relocation benefits the Electoral Commission has offered to staff or new staff taking up a post in its new regional offices.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has not offered or paid any relocation benefits to staff taking up post in its regional offices.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many permanent staff of the Electoral Commission are classed as  (a) staff without posts and  (b) part of a people action team.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that none of its staff are classed as without posts and that the Commission does not have any staff who are part of a people action team.

Departmental Security

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many departmental identity cards or departmental passes have been reported lost or stolen by staff of the Electoral Commission in the last 24 months.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its records show that in the last 24 months, five office building passes have been reported lost by staff of the Commission.

SCOTLAND

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what IT contracts his Department has entered into in the last two years.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the development, administration and maintenance of the system; consequently, the Office does not directly enter into any IT contracts.

Departmental Inquiries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what independent inquiries have been commissioned by his Department in the last five years; what the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost was of each; and what steps were taken following each such inquiry.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has not commissioned any independent inquiries in the last five years.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many permanent staff in his Department are classed as  (a) staff without posts and  (b) part of a people action team.

David Cairns: Staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice. As at 31 March 2008, the Office had a small number of staff awaiting reassignment to their parent Department; however, to protect the identity of individual staff, data relating to less than five people are not disclosed.

Identity and Passport Service

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposed transfer of services from the regional Identity and Passport Service Office in Glasgow on  (a) employment and  (b) access to passport services in Scotland.

Meg Hillier: I have been asked to reply.
	The decision has not yet been made. The Identity and Passport Service is in consultation with the PCS (trade union) on the proposal at this time. A decision is not expected until after the period of consultation.
	Access to passport services in Scotland will not be affected. There are no plans in the immediate future to remove counter services. First time applicants can attend interviews in Scotland and emergency passports will continue to be issued to customers in Glasgow.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Departmental Aviation

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many individual domestic air flights were undertaken within Great Britain by representatives of the Church Commissioners in the most recent year for which figures are available; and at what cost.

Stuart Bell: This information is not available but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the Commissioners and the other National Church Institutions are committed to the Church's "Shrinking the Footprint" campaign. I am therefore confident that domestic flights are undertaken only rarely by the Commissioners' staff or their representatives.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Blue Rubicon

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments  (a) her Department and  (b) London Resilience has made to Blue Rubicon; at what cost; and for what purpose.

Parmjit Dhanda: For details of payments made to Blue Rubicon before 7 February 2008 I refer the hon. Member to the answer to the Freedom Of Information request published on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/about/freedom -of-information/disclosure-log/disclosurelog2008/publicrelationsfirms/
	Since 7 February 2008, the Department has paid Blue Rubicon the sum of £222,244.75 for public relations services to continue the promotion of the measures contained in the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive, including promotion of Energy Performance Certificates and Display Energy Certificates.
	No payments have been made to Blue Rubicon by London Resilience.

Council Tax: Valuation

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were in each council tax valuation band in each region of England on the latest date for which figures are available.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1390W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, East and Mexborough (Jeff Ennis).

Councillors: Thames Gateway

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which councillors are engaged in the Thames Gateway project; what positions they hold; and how much each received in expenses from the Thames Gateway organisation in each of the last three years.

Caroline Flint: There are 18 local authorities directly involved in the Thames Gateway including Essex and Kent county councils, plus the Greater London Authority and two Urban Development Corporations who have planning powers. I have provided information only on those organisations that attend the ministerially chaired Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership who are represented by local authority members. This list represents the current membership. When an individual cannot attend, a substitute from the organisation they are representing usually attends, who may be a councillor.
	
		
			  Name  Organisation represented  Local authority role 
			 Cllr. Rodney Chambers Medway Renaissance Partnership Leader, Medway Council 
			 Cllr. Andrew Bowles Swale Forward Leader, Swale Borough Council 
			 Cllr. Stephen Castle East of England Regional Assembly Cabinet Member, Essex County Council 
			 Cllr. Malcolm Buckley Basildon Renaissance Partnership Leader, Basildon District Council 
			 Cllr. Pam Challis Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership Leader, Castle Point Borough Council 
			 Cllr. Teresa O'Neill Invest Bexley Leader, Bexley Council 
			 Cllr. Chris Roberts Woolwich Regeneration Agency Leader , Greenwich Council 
			 Cllr. Conor McAuley TG London Partnership Executive Member for Regeneration, Newham Council 
			 Cllr. Keith Mitchell South East England Regional Assembly Leader, Oxfordshire County Council 
			 Cllr. Roger Gough Kent Thameside Delivery Board Cabinet Member, Kent County Council 
			 Boris Johnson Greater London Authority Mayor of London 
		
	
	Any more information about an individual councillor's involvement in the Thames Gateway is not held by the Department. The councillors listed do not receive any expenses from the Department for their involvement in the Thames Gateway and any expenses councillors might be entitled to are expected to be claimed from their local authority.
	Communities and Local Government also sponsors the Thurrock and London Thames Gateway Development Corporations. There are four councillors on the board of the TTGDC and their remuneration—as published in the annual reports is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			  TTGDC  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Cllr V. Liddiard 11,806 11,973 12,121 
			 Cllr G. Hague 5,903 11,973 12,121 
			 Cllr T. Hipsey — 6,409 12,121 
			 Cllr J. Kent 8,854 6,442 12,121 
			 Y. Gupta 984 — — 
			 A. Smith 26,306 — — 
		
	
	Where reduced amounts are shown the members concerned were not employed throughout the year and their salaries were earned pro-rata to this figure.
	There are six councillors on the board of the LTGDC and their remuneration—as published in the annual reports is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			  LTGDC  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Cllr S. Kellar 10-15 10-15 10-15 
			 Cllr C. McAuley 10-15 10-15 10-15 
			 Cllr. M. White 10-15 10-15 10-15 
			 Cllr. M. Keith 10-15 5-10 — 
			 Cllr. G. Nicholson 10-15 10-15 10-15 
			 Cllr. O. Ahmed — — 10-15 
			 Cllr. J. Biggs 30-35 30-35 35-40

Departmental Conferences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the conferences hosted by her Department in each of the last two years; and what the cost was of each conference.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department has hosted the following conferences within the last two years.
	
		
			  Date  Event  Cost (£) 
			 17 August 2006 Respect launch 65,000 
			 October 2006 Intra-governmental Group on Geographic Information (IGGI) annual seminar 2006 4,186 
			 5 December 2006 100 Day on reception 1,100 
			 29 January 2007 Towards the Planning White Paper conference 51,230 
			 April/June 2007 Planning Policy Statement 3—Housing regional communication events 10,000 
			 27 July 2007 Planning Delivery Grant Evaluation and Planning White Paper Roll out event 173 
			 September 2007 Analysis for all one day event 2007 1,500 
			 November 2007 Intra-governmental Group on Geographic Information (IGGI) annual seminar 2007 5,170 
			 14 November 2007 Respect and Communities event 60,000 
			 26 February 2008 Incident recording system conference held on 8,682 
			 28 May 2008 Equality and Diversity conference 24,200

Departmental Marketing

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of  (a) internet and website design and hosting,  (b) print media design and  (c) broadcast media of each of her Department's public information campaigns since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Communities and Local Government was formed in May 2006. Available costs for our public information campaigns are set out in Chapter 10 of the Department's Annual Reports for 2006-07 and 2007-08.
	Costs for information campaigns conducted by the Department's predecessor Departments could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

East Midlands Development Agency

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much money the East Midlands Development Agency has received from her Department and its predecessors in each of the financial years for which figures are available.

John Healey: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is the departmental sponsor of the Regional Development Agencies and allocates the Regional Development Agency single budget via a funding formula.
	The Regional Development Agency single budget is pooled from six contributing Government Departments.
	The following table shows East Midlands Development Agency's annual budgets.
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2007-08 176 
			 2006-07 161 
			 2005-06 168 
			 2004-05 119 
			 2003-04 117 
			 2002-03 101 
			 2001-02 86 
			 2000-01 67 
			 1999-2000 41

Floods: Property Development

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department plans to review current planning applications and assess flood risk and flood defences in respect of any house building, as laid out in Planning Policy Statement No. 25; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: It is not proposed to review current planning applications for housing development in flood risk areas. Local planning authorities have responsibility for deciding these in accordance with the local development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. In arriving at their decisions, account must be taken of all relevant Government policy, including Planning Policy Statement 25 Development and Flood Risk, and all representations made, including any from the Environment Agency.
	Sir Michael Pitt's recent report The Pitt Review: Learning lessons from the 2007 floods (June 2008) included a review of the effectiveness and implementation of the Government's Planning Policy Statement 25. In his interim report Learning lessons from the 2007 floods: Interim Report (December 2007) he concluded
	the policy in PPS25 is sound but needs to be rigorously applied by planning authorities.
	In his final report and conclusions he endorsed this, saying
	the operation and effectiveness of PPS25 and the Environment Agency's powers to challenge development should be kept under review and strengthened if and when necessary.
	We are working closely with stakeholders to get PPS25 policy delivered on the ground. We also plan to examine whether there are any barriers to delivery which may be hindering local authorities from implementing PPS25.

Mayors: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from local authorities in Lancashire seeking to establish an elected mayoral system.

Parmjit Dhanda: I am not aware of any such representations from local authorities in Lancashire.

Regional Ministers: Manpower

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent members of staff work for regional Ministers in their capacity as such Ministers; and what the pay scale is of each member of staff.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 22 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 446-50W, by the Secretary of State to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May).

Regional Planning and Development: South East

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements she plans to make to respond to questions from hon. Members during consultation on her proposed amendments to the draft South East Plan following the adjournment of the House on 22 July; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Secretary of State will make an announcement on publication of the proposed changes to the draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South East. This will include the arrangements and procedures for the 12 week consultation period which will be managed by the Government Office for the South East. During the parliamentary summer recess, Members' questions will be answered in the normal way.

Thames Gateway: Finance

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Thames Gateway project budget for  (a) hospitality and  (b) communications was in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The Communities and Local Government actual spend for Thames Gateway hospitality in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial Year  Budget () 
			 2007 3,193 
			 2006 23,977 
			 2005 1,714 
			 2004 350 
			 2003 0 
			 Total 29,234 
		
	
	The Communities and Local Government actual spend for Thames Gateway public, business and stakeholder communications in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial Year  Budget () 
			 2007 847,993 
			 2006 385,818 
			 2005 1,417 
			 2004 0 
			 2003 0 
			 Total 1,235,228

HOME DEPARTMENT

Crime

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of  (a) burglaries,  (b) muggings,  (c) assaults and  (d) thefts which took place in England and Wales in the week commencing (i) 24 March and (ii) 31 March 2008.

Vernon Coaker: No estimates have been made. The Home Office collects recorded crime statistics on a monthly basis only. The latest data covering the financial year 2007-08 will be published on 17 July 2008.

Fixed Penalties

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices in respect of alleged parking infringements were issued by police forces in each year since 1993 to date.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 30 June 2008
	Available information held by the Ministry of Justice, from 1993 to 2006 (which are the latest available) is provided in the following tables. These data relate to 'obstruction, waiting and parking' offences. They do not record parking contraventions in areas when parking has been decriminalised and the police no longer offer fixed penalties. 2007 data should be available next year.
	
		
			  Table A: Fixed penalty notices issued( 1)  by the police for obstruction, waiting and parking offences( 2, 3) , England and Wales, 1993 to 2001 
			   Number of tickets 
			 1993 3,383,011 
			 1994 2,698,349 
			 1995 2,270,732 
			 1996 2,282,481 
			 1997 2,199,242 
			 1998 2,118,077 
			 1999 1,808,153 
			 2000 1,595,360 
			 2001 1,325,049 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B : Fixed penalty notices issued( 1)  by the police for obstruction, waiting and parking offences( 2, 3) , England and Wales , 2002  to 200 6 
			   Number of tickets 
			 2002 1,165,006 
			 2003 1,043,006 
			 2004 882,500 
			 2005 573,497 
			 2006 489,948 
			 (1) Paid i.e. no further action. (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s.22; Transport Act 2000 ss. 173 (5); 173 (6); 173 (7); 174 (3); 175(2); 175 (3): 175 (4); 190 Highway Act 1835 ss. 72 and 78; RTA 1988 ss. 19 and 21; Highways Act 1980 s. 137 (1); Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 ss. 5 (1), 8, 32-36 and 45-53; Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 Regs. 101 and 103; Transport Act 2000 part III; Metropolitan Police Act 1839 s. 54 (1) (3) Does not include decriminalised parking enforcements (DPE).  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, It is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Genetics: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons have been for the removal and destruction of DNA samples from the National DNA database following a request to do so from the person from whom the DNA was taken; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), the police have the power indefinitely to retain profiles on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) derived from samples taken from persons arrested for a recordable offence and detained in a police station, regardless of whether they are charged or convicted. While the decision on whether to agree to a request from an individual to have their DNA profile removed from the NDNAD lies with the chief officer of the police force which took the sample, profiles will normally be retained unless there are exceptional circumstances.
	Given that a number of factors may be applicable to each individual decision, there is no specific breakdown of the reasons for the removal and destruction of DNA samples from the NDNAD following a request to do so from the person from whom the DNA was taken.
	The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has a national Criminal Records Office (ACRO), based in Hampshire, which deals with matters relating to criminal records, DNA and fingerprints on behalf of chief officers. In the area of removals from the NDNAD, they assist chief officers in arriving at a decision, by providing examples of how requests have been dealt with in other police forces and offering advice. However, the final decision remains with chief officers, who are not obliged to refer cases to ACRO or to agree with its recommendations.

Genetics: Databases

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people without a criminal conviction have made representations to her Department to have their names removed from the national DNA database.

Meg Hillier: Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, the decision on whether to agree to a request from an individual to have their DNA profile, fingerprints and associated records removed from police databases lies with the chief officer of the police force which took the DNA sample and fingerprint records, so requests from people without a criminal conviction go to chief officers, and not the Home Office. No central records are kept of the number of such requests made, and the number of those which are from people without a criminal conviction.

Genetics: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to publish the National DNA Database Annual Report for  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 23 June 2008
	A precise date for the publication of the National DNA Database Annual Report for 2006-07 is not yet available, but it is expected to be published in the near future. The timescale for the production of the Annual Report for 2007-08 is shortly to be considered by the National DNA Database Strategy Board.

Human Trafficking

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the number of men and boys trafficked into the United Kingdom for suspected involvement in the sex industry in the latest period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: To date there has been no estimate made of the number of men and boys trafficked into the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
	Operations Pentameter 1 and 2 have focussed on trafficking for sexual exploitation irrespective of gender and the analysis of those operations will inform our estimate of the scale and nature of the problem.

Human Trafficking

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which companies and organisations have given her Department and the UK Human Trafficking Centre free or reduced rates to run campaign materials against human trafficking.

Vernon Coaker: There have been no companies that have given the Home Office free or reduced rates for campaign materials on human trafficking.
	Principals Agency in Leeds provided a reduced rate to the UKHTC for design work the agency carried out on the Blue Blindfold campaign and CBS Outdoor provided reduced rates for displaying posters on buses.

Human Trafficking

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department and the UK Human Trafficking Centre spent on  (a) commissioning and  (b) mounting the Blue Blindfold Campaign; and which costs of the campaign were met from the budget of (i) the UK Human Trafficking Centre and (ii) her Department centrally.

Vernon Coaker: There were no commissioning costs incurred in respect of the Blue Blindfold campaign.
	A total of 20,994 has been spent on the campaign so far on production of materials and placing of the posters on buses. Of this total, 13,000 was met by the Home Office, with the remainder being met from the UKHTC's budget.

Human Trafficking: Sex Establishments

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department is conducting with the newspaper industry over the placing of advertisements by establishments offering sexual services in newspapers; and whether her Department has made any estimate of the number of trafficked women potentially working in such establishments.

Vernon Coaker: In November 2007 I met with representatives from the newspaper and advertising industries on this issue. The Newspaper Society have reviewed guidance it issues to publishers to ensure it fully reflects concerns about human trafficking for sexual exploitation. In January the Government Equalities Office also published Women Not for Sale, which raised the issue of the links between this type of advertisement, and the trafficking of women into the UK for the purposes of prostitution.
	There has been no estimate on the number of trafficked women who are involved in related activity.

Identity Cards

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the proposed method for the collection of fingerprints for the identity card scheme is.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 29 April 2008
	The precise manner of enrolment of fingerprint biometrics has yet to be finalised for identity cards to be issued to British citizens under the Identity Cards Act 2006. However, it is intended that 10 plain fingerprints should be recorded and stored on the National Identity Register.
	This will be compatible with fingerprint biometrics recorded for identity cards to be issued to foreign nationals under the UK Borders Act 2007.

Parking Attendants

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) traffic enforcement officers,  (b) traffic wardens and  (c) council parking attendants were operating in each police authority area in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Available data for the numbers of police officers whose primary role is within the traffic function and for the numbers of traffic wardens are given in the following tables. Data on local authority parking attendants and civil enforcement officers are not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Police officers FTE whose main function is 'Traffic'( 1) ,  1996-97 to 2006-07 
			  Full-time equivalent( 2) 
			   1996-97( 3)  1997-98( 3)  1998-99( 4)  1999-2000( 4)  2000-01( 4)  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset  216 222 228 215 148 
			 Bedfordshire  75 80 80 81 68 
			 Cambridgeshire  85 99 101 99 96 
			 Cheshire  194 200 194 85 91 
			 Cleveland  64 73 2 61 72 
			 Cumbria  107 110 108 111 114 
			 Derbyshire  107 121 116 119 110 
			 Devon and Cornwall  192 198 211 215 225 
			 Dorset  91 86 82 81 80 
			 Durham  111 119 108 105 100 
			 Dyfed Powys  136 105 141 143 136 
			 Essex  241 242 243 243 231 
			 Gloucestershire  62 66 67 73 67 
			 Greater Manchester  406 392 359 342 352 
			 Gwent  93 95 96 102 95 
			 Hampshire  248 246 244 240 237 
			 Hertfordshire  150 151 149 149 145 
			 Humberside  123 119 225 181 100 
			 Kent  104  122 116 109 
			 Lancashire  198 187 190 197 184 
			 Leicestershire  92 95 85 77 72 
			 Lincolnshire  90 89 96 102 100 
			 London, City of  24 24 28 24 23 
			 Merseyside  125 119 115 138 150 
			 Metropolitan Police  583 592 1029 603 611 
			 Norfolk  120 121 107 112 110 
			 Northamptonshire  70 71 65 63 63 
			 Northumbria  245 253 165 167 172 
			 North Wales  115 114 76 81 98 
			 North Yorkshire  151 138 101 97 99 
			 Nottinghamshire  26 121 133 134 139 
			 South Wales  243 245 243 243 252 
			 South Yorkshire  180 127 134 141 143 
			 Staffordshire  50 49 58 28 35 
			 Suffolk  68 72 76 80 77 
			 Surrey  108 110 107 99 87 
			 Sussex  164 163 163 160 169 
			 Thames Valley  259 259 245 236 237 
			 Warwickshire  103 103 93 97 93 
			 West Mercia  292 115 117 116 129 
			 West Midlands  384 405 393 401 383 
			 West Yorkshire  320 314 317 343 324 
			 Wiltshire  91 96 93 13 89 
			 Total   7,525 7,238 7,005 6,902 6,706 7,104 6,511 6,412 
			 (1) Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. The traffic function Includes staff who are predominantly employed on motorcycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties. The function does not include officers employed in accident investigation, vehicle examination and radar duties. (2) This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (3) Data are unavailable for 1996-97 and 1997-98. (4) Data by police force area are not available centrally. 
		
	
	
		
			  Traffic warden strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  by police force as at 31 March 1998 to 31 March 2007 
			  Police force  1998  1999  2000  2001( 3)  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 114 115 59 48 44 43 34 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 26 10 9 3 3 2 2 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 33 38 35 38 36 35 17 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 35 31 25 20 20 19 15 17 0 0 
			 Cleveland 23 18 13 10 12 7 8 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 21 16 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 53 50 50 44 50 48 43 25 21 12 
			 Devon and Cornwall 115 113 119 110 101 103 102 96 89 47 
			 Dorset 49 42 41 37 12 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Durham 22 21 22 19 19 15 4 0 0 0 
			 Essex 123 121 102 82 59 38 21 8 7 9 
			 Gloucestershire 38 35 35 30 30 31 21 16 14 9 
			 Greater Manchester 189 160 96 88 87 88 88 90 71 32 
			 Hampshire 65 68 53 53 31 25 23 16 7 6 
			 Hertfordshire 55 44 38 45 42 38 9 0 0 0 
			 Humberside 59 52 53 51 51 48 46 45 38 20 
			 Kent 52 31 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 110 101 94 87 84 50 17 2 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 75 70 67 65 72 61 51 26 5 1 
			 Lincolnshire 26 22 20 21 21 21 18 20 14 10 
			 London, City of 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 115 114 106 93 63 52 43 10 5 38 
			 Metropolitan police 1,166 945 817 689 632 687 505 449 411 317 
			 Norfolk 43 40 37 33 34 33 31 28 26 22 
			 Northamptonshire 25 23 16 11 7 7 5 4 2 1 
			 Northumbria 78 70 70 72 71 59 56 51 48 32 
			 North Yorkshire 23 23 19 12 10 0 10 0 6 3 
			 Nottinghamshire 61 65 58 39 30 29 33 12 4 1 
			 South Yorkshire 80 76 62 71 77 68 37 18 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 35 31 24 17 12 10 1 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 32 33 31 29 29 25 25 20 18 0 
			 Surrey 25 21 16 25 20 17 8 5 3 0 
			 Sussex 132 113 110 98 62 61 67 62 48 48 
			 Thames Valley 103 95 58 45 51 42 36 24 16 8 
			 Warwickshire 12 10 8 9 9 9 8 4 5 3 
			 West Mercia 35 31 30 23 21 15 13 9 10 6 
			 West Midlands 218 192 175 128 78 74 72 66 51 24 
			 West Yorkshire 129 118 116 107 99 98 85 42 26 12 
			 Wiltshire 19 20 15 7 8 7 5 1 0 0 
			 Dyfed Powys 19 15 14 15 12 13 10 10 8 10 
			 Gwent 33 32 30 28 28 27 25 21 22 23 
			 North Wales 16 15 12 12 8 7 5 4 2 1 
			 South Wales 109 108 100 104 100 99 92 82 77 72 
			 Total England and Wales 3,788 3,342 2,855 2,516 2,233 2,108 1,688 1,281 1,053 764 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items (2) Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces.

Passports: Postal Services

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations she held before taking the decision to end postal passport services at the regional Identity and Passport Service Office in Glasgow.

Meg Hillier: The decision has not yet been made. The Identity and Passport Service is in consultation with the PCS (trade union) at this time. A decision is not expected until after the end of the period of consultation. All services currently available to Scottish customers in passport services will remain available.

Passports: Postal Services

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she had with the  (a) Secretary of State for Scotland and  (b) Scottish Executive on access to passport services in Scotland before the decision to end postal passport services at the regional Identity and Passport Service Office in Glasgow.

Meg Hillier: The decision has not yet been made. The Identity and Passport Service is in consultation with the PCS (trade union) on the proposal at this time. A decision is not expected until after the period of consultation. No specific consultation has been planned with the Secretary of State for Scotland, or the Scottish Executive at this time, since service delivery to the customer will be unaffected by the change.

Theft: Fuels

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she plans to take to prevent the theft of  (a) red diesel and  (b) household fuel from rural areas;
	(2)  how many thefts of  (a) red diesel and  (b) household fuel there were from rural areas in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(3)  what representations she has received on thefts of  (a) red diesel and  (b) household fuel from rural areas; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the role of neighbourhood policing in preventing theft of  (a) red diesel and  (b) household fuel from rural areas.

Vernon Coaker: The Secretary of State has not received any representations on thefts of either red diesel or household fuel from rural areas.
	Statistics on the theft of red diesel and household fuel are not collected centrally. Such offences would be recorded within the Home Office offence classifications of 'theft from a vehicle', 'other theft' or 'other fraud' depending on the circumstances of the offence. Such offences cannot be separately identified from the other offences included in those classifications.
	The Government's commitment that there will be a Neighbourhood Policing Team in every area by 2008 has been met. This marks three years of hard work from forces to roll-out Neighbourhood Policing. Neighbourhood Policing teams engage in proactive or preventative work to tackle low level crime and anti social behaviour which may be a persistent issue or concern that exists in the local community. In rural areas, this may include working together with local agencies to provide advice to the community on preventing fuel theft. Such advice would include restricting access where possible and the use of appropriate fencing locks. No formal assessment of the role of neighbourhood policing in preventing theft of red diesel and household fuel in rural areas, has been made.
	Crime has reduced by a third over the last 10 years. The Government's Crime Strategy builds upon the achievements of the last ten years but moves away from centrally imposed targets toward making local agencies accountable and responsive to the needs and priorities of the local community. This means that local areas can focus greatest effort on reducing those crimes that matter most to people locally, whatever the crime. Where the theft of red diesel and household fuel emerges as a pressing local issue, whether in a rural or urban area, we would encourage local police forces to devote resources to tackling this crime.

United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget of the UK Human Trafficking Centre was in the financial years  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; what it is in 2008-09; and what it will be in 2009-10.

Vernon Coaker: Details of the budget for the UKHTC are as follows:
	
		
			
			 2006-07(1) 591,000 
			 2007 834,084 
			 2008 1,712,000 
			 2009 1,602,000 
			 (1) Part year. 
		
	
	The budget in 2008-09 is greater than in the following year to allow for a one off purchase of a necessary IT system.

United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent staff there were at the UK Human Trafficking Centre in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; how many there are in 2008-09; and how many she expects there to be in 2009-10.

Vernon Coaker: In 2006-07 there were initially 12 staff rising to 23 in 2007-08. This will rise to 39 within the current financial year with plans for a maximum of 42 staff within 2009-10.
	As a multi agency police led centre the staffing levels include staff embedded with the UKHTC from other agencies and the Poppy Project.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer question  (a) 199977 and  (b) 199979 on the Identity and Passport Service tabled by the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire on 3 April 2008.

Meg Hillier: I replied to the hon. Member on 26 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 443-44W.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Exhaust Emissions

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2008,  Official Report, column 790, on aviation exhaust emissions, if she will  (a) list the titles of the research projects being undertaken at Manchester Metropolitan University and  (b) place in the Library copies of reports arising from these projects.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The 2008-10 contract with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) requires quarterly reports to include research output material for publication on the Department for Transport (DFT) website. Current research tasks address: Contrail and cirrus cloud modelling, climate models of aviation impacts for the EUs QUANTIFY Project, Identification of polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) markers, research of EU emissions and climate stabilisation under the European ETS and ICAO's Committee on Aviation and Environmental Protection (CAEP) emissions modelling. Scientific reports of this work will be available via the MMU and DFT websites. In addition to this research MMU provide the Department with technical advice and expertise in a range of international technical expert groups.

Departmental Buildings

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how frequently her Department restates the asset values of its building estate.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The valuation of property is carried out in accordance with strict rules laid down by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB), Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and in the financial reporting manual (FReM).
	The valuation policy for the Department and its Executive Agencies is set out in Note 1 to the departmental and executive agency resource accounts, as follows:
	 Department for Transport
	Freehold land and buildings are restated to current value using professional valuations, in accordance with FRS 15. Such valuations are undertaken every five years. In intervening years, values are adjusted using appropriate methods, including indices, except the freehold land on which the Channel Tunnel Rail Link has been constructed, which has been leased to the operator for 90 years. Reflecting this usage, the land has been valued at the net present value of the lease income, since the land is not unencumbered and the Department's rights are, to that extent, constrained. The reversionary interest of the land and the Link constructed upon it are valued at nil.
	Assets held for resale (dwellings), being land and property released from road schemes, are valued at open market value, less provision for selling costs.
	 The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
	Land and Buildings are revalued every five years on an existing use valuation by appointed Chartered Surveyorsthe last occasion being March 2005. In the intervening years a desktop or index linked revaluation (using Treasury indices) is performed.
	 Driving Standards Agency (DSA)
	Over a five year rolling programme the whole of the DSA property assets are re-valued. This means that 20 per cent. of DSA's estate is re-valued each year with additions flowing from new additions within that year. The DSA values its property in accordance with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors valuation standards 6(th) edition and the current HM Treasury accounting guidance.
	 Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA)
	The Government Car and Despatch Agency restates its asset value on an annual basis.
	 Highways Agency (HA)
	External professional surveyors undertake a full valuation of:
	HA operational freehold land and buildings
	HA residential properties released from road schemes and held for resale at intervals not exceeding five years, and between valuations the values are adjusted using regional land and building indices published twice yearly by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).
	The land and buildings assets were last fully valued as follows:
	Yate Store (July 2004)
	Federated House (29 July 2004)
	Motorway Maintenance Compounds (October 2006)
	Motorway Service Areas (March 2005)
	Residential properties held for resale (December 2003)
	Maritime and Coastguard Agency
	A full valuation of the whole estate is carried out every five years. In addition a sample of properties are revalued each year so that, for example, significant new builds are accurately valued in the accounts.
	 Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)
	The Vehicle Certification Agency restates its asset value on an annual basis.
	 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA)
	The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency restates its asset value on an annual basis.

Departmental Home Working

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in her Department are authorised to work from home.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not record centrally the number of staff who work from home. Staff may work from home with line manager agreement and subject to business needs.
	As a result of business needs, the Vehicle Certification Agency employs seven staff members who are contractually authorised to work from home, while the Highways Agency have 45 employees with the necessary equipment to work from home.
	Further information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2007,  Official Report, column 288W, on departmental official hospitality, when she expects the list of hospitality received in 2007 by members of her Department's management board to be published.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave him on 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 885W.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of staff in her Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department of Transport comprises a central Department plus seven executive agencies each with its own pay and reward system. Information regarding bonus payments has been collected from the central Department and all seven agencies and collated into one set of figures.
	
		
			   Proportion of staff to receive bonus payment (percentage)  Total amount of bonuses paid  ()  Largest single payment in yea r () 
			 2003-04 47 2,020,828 10,944 
			 2004-05 59 1,881,308 11,191 
			 2005-06 71 8,212,780 20,900 
			 2006-07 77 10,147,137 23,575 
			 2007-08 68 3,844,107 22,894 
			  Note: The figures exclude: SCS bonuses for 2003-04 and SCS FTA's for 2004-05; DVLA data for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2007-08; VOSA data for 2007-08. 
		
	
	The excluded data could be produced only at disproportionate costs.
	Bonuses are paid in respect of overall performance or exceptional performance on a specific task or at a specific time.

Departmental Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will review salary negotiations for public sector employees in organisations within her Department's responsibility to reflect the rise in the consumer price index to a point above three per cent.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government's pay policy is guided by the following principles. Public sector pay settlements should be consistent with maintaining the necessary levels of recruitment, retention and staff engagement needed to support service delivery; ensuring that total pay bills represent value for money and are affordable within departments' overall expenditure plans; and consistent with the achievement of the inflation target. Timing of pay decisions for a particular workforce depends on pay-setting arrangements for that workforce.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on  (a) new furnishings,  (b) art and  (c) new vehicles by her Department in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The requested information, where recorded, is in the following table.
	
		
			   
			   2007-08  2006-07  2005-06 
			  (a) New furnishings 4,785,832 9,599,468 3,144,503 
			  (b) Art 0 0 300 
			  (c) New vehicles 5,019,976 5,260,778 5,575,660 
		
	
	This excludes spend on new furnishings by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency; such costs are not recorded as specific cost categories within the accounting systems in use at these organisations and the requested data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of overseas visits by each Minister in her Department has been since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 1999 the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1112W. Details for the financial year 2007-08 will be published before the summer recess and will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002.

Electric Vehicles

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to bring forward proposals for a police trial of electric personal assistive mobility devices as part of the roadmap process to regulatory approval.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Transport has no plans for such trials, whether with or without police involvement.

George W. Bush: Heathrow Airport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many flights were  (a) cancelled and  (b) delayed at Heathrow Airport as a result of the recent arrival of President Bush; and what the average time of delay was.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 30 June 2008
	 We have been advised by BAA that 68 flights in total (32 arrivals and 36 departures) were cancelled on 15 and 16 June, which were the dates of the President's arrival and departure.
	NATS have advised that they are unable to provide detailed information on the average time of delay to affected aircraft without further analysis. As this is an operational matter for NATS, I suggest the hon. Member directs his inquiry to the Chief Executive of NATS.

Great Western Trains

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 952-53W, on Great Western Trains, whether First Great Western's four-weekly reports on its Joint Performance Improvement Plan will be  (a) published on her Department's website and  (b) placed in the Library.

Tom Harris: These documents are commercially confidential and, as a result, not able to be published.
	All train operators' performance can be viewed on the Network Rail website. This shows that Public Performance Measure for First Great Western in period 1 moved up to 90.6 per cent. and 89.3 per cent. in period 2 which ended 24 May, up from 87.9 per cent. in period 9, the four week period to 8 December 2007.

Heathrow Airport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of flights  (a) arriving at and  (b) taking off from Heathrow Airport were late in each year since 1997; and what the (i) maximum and (ii) average delay in each category was in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 30 June 2008
	 The following tables show the percentage of flights  (a) arriving at and  (b) taking off from Heathrow Airport which were late in each year (1997-2007) and the average delay. Information relating to maximum delay is not available.
	
		
			  (a) Arrivals 
			   Number of flights matched  Percentage late  Average delay (minutes) 
			 1997 212,281 32.5 n/a 
			 1998 218,475 32.8 n/a 
			 1999 222,610 33.6 n/a 
			 2000 227,740 34.3 18.5 
			 2001 226,686 30.9 17.2 
			 2002 228,142 30.2 16.7 
			 2003 226,362 25.5 14.7 
			 2004 232,328 30.3 16.4 
			 2005 234,099 29.9 16.4 
			 2006 233,722 30.7 17.3 
			 2007 236,074 32.6 18.2 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Departures 
			   Number of flights matched  Percentage late  Average delay (minutes) 
			 1997 212,380 25.8 n/a 
			 1998 218,449 26.4 n/a 
			 1999 222,809 28.2 n/a 
			 2000 227,955 27.8 15.2 
			 2001 226,826 27.7 15.0 
			 2002 228,262 29.8 15.9 
			 2003 226,710 28.1 15.5 
			 2004 232,634 33.9 17.6 
			 2005 234,601 33.9 17.4 
			 2006 233,804 39.3 20.2 
			 2007 236,311 42.1 21.1 
			  Notes:  1. The airline industry standard for on-time departures/arrivals is within 15 minutes of the advertised time. Percentage late is therefore flights departing/arriving 15 minutes or more after the advertised time 2. n/aAverage delay data are not available prior to 2000.  Source:  CAA punctuality statistics

M6: Construction

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of progress in planning the proposed  (a) western route and  (b) northern route of the M6-Heysham link road.

Rosie Winterton: Lancashire county council decided to progress the northern route rather than the western route. The Department for Transport saw no grounds to depart from this conclusion. The proposed northern route was granted planning permission in February 2008. The business case is currently being assessed by DFT officials in accordance with existing guidance for major transport schemes.

Motor Vehicles: Licensing

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will examine the introduction of a system of registration for foreign registered vehicles brought to Great Britain to prevent avoidance of  (a) parking and  (b) traffic offence fines; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have no plans to consider an additional registration system for the purpose of preventing avoidance of parking penalties and other civil penalties. The Government recognise that further action needs to be taken at European level to enable more effective enforcement of civil road use contraventions and is considering how best to achieve this. The European Commission has recently published a draft Directive on Facilitating Cross Border Enforcement in the Field of Road Safety, aimed at more effective cross-border enforcement of penalties for certain criminal offences.

Official Cars

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect on the UK car manufacturing sector of policy on cars designated for ministerial use, with particular reference to the proportion of such cars manufactured  (a) in and  (b) outside the UK.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government Car and Despatch Agency is responsible for providing official cars and drivers to Ministers and senior officials. It has made no assessment on the effect that its purchasing patterns have on the UK car manufacturing sector.

Olympic Games 2012

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effects of the 2012 Olympic Games on transport around and to  (a) Hampden Park Stadium, Glasgow,  (b) St James' Park Stadium, Newcastle,  (c) Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester,  (d) Villa Park Stadium, Birmingham,  (e) the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff,  (f) Weymouth and Portsmouth,  (g) Broxbourne and  (h) Eton Dorney in the period the Games will take place.

Rosie Winterton: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is responsible for planning and delivering transport for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The ODA is already working with stakeholders to develop transport strategies for venues at Weymouth and Portland, Broxbourne and Eton Dorney. There is ongoing engagement between the ODA and stakeholders at regional Olympic football stadia and detailed transport planning and strategy development will be undertaken later this year.

Olympic Games 2012

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Minister in her Department has responsibility for non-London transport to and from the 2012 Olympic Games.

Rosie Winterton: I am the departmental Minister responsible for the Games.

Olympic Games 2012: Railways

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice she plans to issue to national rail passengers in relation to the period of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Rosie Winterton: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is responsible for planning and delivering transport for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The ODA will work with all Train Operating Companies and Network Rail to ensure that information is provided to meet the needs of all passengers during the games.

Olympic Games 2012: Railways

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect on capacity of the national rail network of demand during the 2012 Olympic Games;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effects of holding the 2012 Olympic Games on peak hour commuting journeys across the national rail network to and from London during the period of the Games.

Rosie Winterton: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is responsible for planning and delivering transport for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The ODA's Olympic Transport Plan, which was published in October 2007 sets out a number of infrastructure improvements to support the delivery of Games-time transport. The ODA is working with train operating companies and Network Rail on developing Olympic Service Delivery Plans based on Games-time demand forecasts provided by the ODA. These delivery plans will include transport on peak hour commuter services.

Parking Offences: Fines

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many parking tickets were issued by each local authority in respect of foreign registered vehicles in the last 12 months; how many were paid; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how much local authorities have failed to collect in respect of parking fines levied on vehicles registered overseas in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally. The enforcement of decriminalised traffic contraventions is a matter for the relevant local authorities. They are not required to provide such information to the Government.

Parking: Disabled

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of those applying for a Blue Badge disabled driver's permit had their application declined in  (a) Chorley,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) the UK between 1987 and 2007.

Rosie Winterton: Since 2002, the Department for Transport has collected data on the proportion of successful Blue Badge applications made to top tier local authorities in England.
	 (a) No data are available at an individual district council level, such as Chorley.
	 (b) In 2006-07, there were 10,743 new applications for Blue Badges in Lancashire. Approximately 6 per cent. were unsuccessful.
	 (c) This compared with 419,268 new applications for Blue Badges in England as a whole in 2006-07. Approximately 12 per cent. were unsuccessful.
	Individual English local authorities may still hold data from 1987 but this is not held centrally. The Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Irish Assembly also collect separate Blue Badge data for their own administrative areas.

Railways: Standards

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations she has received from hon. Members and members of the public relating to performance of train operating companies in the last 12 months.

Tom Harris: The Department receives representations relating to train operating companies' performance in a variety of formats. A number of such representations have been received over the last 12 months. The exact number received could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department's high level output specification requires the industry to achieve 92.6 per cent. rail punctuality by March 2014, as measured by the industry-standard public performance measure moving annual average. Rail punctuality reached 90 per cent. in May 2008, which is the highest level recorded to date.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will publish the information provided to the Renewable Fuels Agency by companies under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) monthly reporting requirement for the first month of the RTFO's operation, broken down by  (a) fuel type,  (b) quantity of fuel in litres,  (c) biofuel feedstock,  (d) feedstock origin,  (e) land use on 30 November 2005,  (f) standard and  (g) carbon intensity.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) is continuing to process and reconcile the data in question, and has only provided the Department with very provisional summaries at this stage. The RFA is currently considering its reporting strategy, including the content and timing of reports, in liaison with stakeholders. The RFA has a statutory duty under section 14 of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007 (SI 3072) to report annually to Parliament on matters such as this. In addition, the Secretary of State for Transport has asked for quarterly reports from the RFA on the sustainability of the biofuels used under the RTFO. The first of these quarterly reports is due to be submitted in the early autumn.

Road Traffic Offences: EU Action

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will hold discussions with European Union partners on the introduction of common enforcement measures for unpaid  (a) parking and  (b) traffic fines incurred in respect of vehicles registered in another member state; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Government recognise that further action needs to be taken at European level to enable more effective enforcement of civil road use contraventions, and is considering how best to achieve this.

Road Traffic Offences: Fines

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanisms exist to enable the recovery of  (a) parking and  (b) traffic fines incurred in respect of foreign registered vehicles from the owners or registered keepers of the vehicles; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Provisions included in the Local Transport Bill will, subject to the consideration of Parliament, enable the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to provide information received from foreign registration authorities to UK authorities. This will help UK local authorities to identify and pursue keepers of foreign registered vehicles for unpaid penalties.

Roads: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents were  (a) uninsured and  (b) driving a car that did not have a valid MOT in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) sex and (ii) police authority region.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available.
	Research reported in the published Road Safety Research Report No. 75: Fatal vehicle occupant collisions: An in-depth study (published on 26 February 2007) found that in a study of nearly 1,200 fatal accidents about 7 per cent. involved an uninsured driver. This report is available at the following link:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme5/fatalvehicleoccupant75.pdf.

Roads: Lorries

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the cost of the effect on road infrastructure of the journeys made by non-UK-registered heavy goods vehicles in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As part of the freight data feasibility study that concluded earlier this year the study team estimated the total annual cost of damage to UK roads by foreign hauliers to be 16.8 million.

Roads: Noise

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance her Department and its agencies have issued on the level of use and the suitability of noise retardant material to resurface  (a) A roads and  (b) residential roads.

Rosie Winterton: The Highways Agency manages the strategic road network in England. To reduce traffic noise on their roads, all new roads and major maintenance schemes on trunk roads, including motorways, are surfaced with quieter asphalt. The Highways Agency's specification requires that any new surfacing has the capability of providing a noise reduction of least 2.5 dB(A), or in very noise sensitive areas, a reduction of at least 3.5 dB(A), when compared to a typical conventional surface.
	The management of local roads, including decisions on which road treatment to use, are a matter for each local highway authority. However, this Department has endorsed Well-maintained Highways, the code of practice on highways maintenance published by the UK Roads Board, which encourages highways authorities to consider noise reduction measures when maintaining roads. The code can be found at:
	www.ukroadsliaisongroup.org.

Roads: Surveys

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the expected completion date is for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey into public attitudes towards road pricing; and which companies ONS is using to conduct the research.

Rosie Winterton: The ONS Omnibus Survey is ongoing. The research is conducted by ONS, who do not use subcontractors.

Roads: Surveys

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library a copy of the BMRB research commissioned by her Department into the public acceptability of road pricing.

Rosie Winterton: The research carried out by BMRB Social Research and the Centre for Transport and Society was published on the DfT website on 8 May 2008:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/social/rptroadpricing/
	Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Tolls

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 893W, on roads: tolls, what use will be made of satellite technology to assist such road pricing research.

Rosie Winterton: The winning bidders for the road pricing demonstration project have yet to be announced, and therefore the precise technical solutions to be demonstrated are yet to be determined. However, we expect that satellite technology will play a part in the systems that the successful bidders will be trialling.

Stations: Crime

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many crimes against a person were committed at  (a) rail stations that met secure station status and  (b) other stations, broken down by (i) sex of offender and (ii) incident type in each year since 1997.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport, but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, E-mail:
	parliament@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Wood

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much timber and timber products were procured by her Department and its predecessor in each of the last five years; and at what cost;
	(2)  how much timber and timber products were procured by her Department and its predecessor originating from independently verified legal and sustainable sources or from a licensed FLEGT partner in each of the last five years; and at what cost.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is as follows:
	 Timber
	The Department for Transport does not record this information and could only be obtained disproportionate cost.
	 Timber  p roducts
	The only timber product recorded by the Department for Transport is furniture. The following table provides details of the furniture timber products procured by the Department for Transport over the last five years.
	
		
			   Cost of items purchased () 
			 2003-04 738,886 
			 2004-05 929,821 
			 2005-06 478,627 
			 2006-07 302,611 
			 2007-08 323,820 
		
	
	All the furniture was procured through Office of Government Commerce furniture contracts which require the supplier to be able to provide chain of custody for all timber, back to an independently verifiable sustainable and legal source.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Nature Conservation: EU Law

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1243W, on nature conservation: EU law, whether the value of each hectare of salt marsh created exceeds the value of the asset it replaces.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 20 June 2008
	 The information is not available to say whether the value of each hectare of salt marsh created for the purposes of meeting the requirements of Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (the Habitats Directive) exceeds the value of the asset that it replaces. However, I can confirm that the Government seek to ensure that legal requirements arising from the directive are met in a cost effective and sustainable way. I can further confirm that the value of any assets lost would, in each case, inform the assessment of the options considered to meet any such legal requirements.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Business Plans

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 609W, on departments: manpower, when her Department will publish a business plan for 2008-09.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office business plan was published on 18 April 2008. It is on the GEO website:
	www.equalities.gov.uk
	and a copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Equality

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government Equalities Office has taken to strengthen the Government's equality agenda since its creation.

Barbara Follett: Since its establishment as a Government Department in October 2007, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) has set in train a range of initiatives to strengthen the Government's equality agenda. For example, the GEO concluded a consultation on the Discrimination Law Review and is preparing an Equality Bill for introduction in the next parliamentary session. It has been delivering on the Ministers for Women Priorities. The GEO has also implemented the EU gender directive, agreed the first ever equality public service agreement, launched the Equality and Human Rights Commission and set up the Black and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce. Further details of the work of the GEO will be detailed in the departmental report which will be published before recess.

HEALTH

Antidepressants

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government has  (a) taken and  (b) plans to take to amend legislation following the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's report of its investigation into GlaxoSmithKline and the anti-depressant drug Seroxat.

Dawn Primarolo: On 23 May 2008 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published a consultation on proposals to amend the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Etc.) Regulations 1994 to ensure the United Kingdom's legislation is fully in line with existing European Union (EU) law covering the circumstances when marketing authorisation holders should report new information which might influence the evaluation of the benefits and risks for a medicine to the MHRA. The proposed changes state explicitly that marketing authorisation holders should report information from clinical trials outside the licensed indication, report information arising from third countries and provide a timescale for the reporting of such information.
	Copies of consultation (MLX 350) have been placed in the Library and are also available on MHRA's website at:
	www.mhra.gov.uk/Publications/Consultations/Medicinesconsultations/MLXs/CON017761.
	The consultation closes on 15 August 2008. Subject to the outcome of consultation, the Government plans to amend legislation before the end of the year.
	In addition, the European Commission is currently formulating proposals to strengthen the EU system for monitoring the safety of medicines. The MHRA has proposed that the EC take this opportunity to introduce a number of additional changes in the light of the investigation into GlaxoSmithKline. We expect European proposals to be published later this year.

Bone Marrow: Donors

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent steps the Government has taken to increase the number of bone marrow donors;
	(2)  what steps the Government plans to take to encourage more people to become bone marrow donors;
	(3)  what steps the Government plans to take to encourage young people to become bone marrow donors.

Dawn Primarolo: There are currently 300,000 donors registered on the British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR), 150,000 have been recruited in the last three years.
	The National Blood Service (NBS) ask new blood donors about joining the BBMR when they first become a blood donor. Volunteer bone marrow donors are especially needed from black and minority ethnic backgrounds as currently just five per cent. of registered donors on the BBMR are from these backgrounds. The NBS has introduced the 'OneBlood' campaign, to attract more people from these groups to become blood donors and join the BBMR.
	To ensure young people understand the importance of donation of blood, organs, tissue and bone marrow, and to encourage them to become donors in the future, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has developed the 'Give and Let Live' educational pack and website. The pack was launched in September 2007 and all secondary schools were contacted. The pack is designed to dispel myths and give 14-16 year olds accurate information about the need and use of blood, organs and tissue.
	NHSBT is currently updating the pack and website and a revised version, based on feedback from schools, will be launched in this year's autumn term.

Byotrol

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments have been made by his Department to Byotrol plc in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Byotrol have received no payment from the Department.

Byotrol

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contracts his Department has signed with Byotrol plc in the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Byotrol has no contracts with the Department.

Departmental Buildings

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the value of the property held by  (a) his Department and  (b) associated public bodies was at the most recent date for which figures are available;
	(2)  how frequently his Department restates the asset values of its building estate.

Ben Bradshaw: The value of property held by the Department at the 31 March 2007, as stated in the 2006-07 Resource Accounts, is 6,360 million. This figure includes all those organisations within the departmental boundary including the Department itself, the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency, those special health authorities not funded by trading activities, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts.
	Details of the arrangements for the valuation of the Department's fixed assets are set out at section 1.4 of the Department of Health Resource Accounts 2006-07, a copy of which has been placed in the Library and is also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_081317.
	Information on the Department's arm's length bodies is not collected centrally.

Departmental Buildings

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) new builds and  (b) major refurbishments were completed by his Department for a cost in excess of 0.5 million in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08 to which the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method or equivalent was applied; how many such buildings were assessed as (A) pass, (B) good, (C) very good and (D) excellent; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Since 2002, the bespoke National Health Service Environmental Assessment Tool kit (NEAT) has been the Department's response to the Government's objective of a sustainable construction programme through the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM).
	All NHS capital development schemes have to submit a NEAT score as part of the business case or scheme approval process. To be approved, the business case has to demonstrate a commitment to meeting the NEAT score rating of 'excellent' for a new build or 'very good' for a refurbishment scheme. All business cases approved by the Department in the last five years, and for which records are held centrally, have done so.
	No information is held centrally on those capital schemes developed by NHS bodies which do not require departmental approval, although the guidance is that they should also achieve the appropriate NEAT scores.
	The NEAT process is being revised for re-issue as BREEAM Healthcare with effect from 30 June 2008 and will follow the same procedural and score rating requirements for health care construction projects.

Departmental Buildings

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) new builds and  (b) major refurbishments for a cost in excess of 0.5 million were completed by his Department in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: The construction of most health facilities by national health service bodies is undertaken by means of three particular procurement methods. These are the private finance initiative (PFI) for hospital facilities, ProCure 21 to deliver public capital funded hospital and primary care facilities, and the local improvement finance trust (LIFT) initiative in respect of primary care and hospital facilities that are commissioned by primary care trusts (PCTs).
	Information on the number of completed projects in these three programmes is given in aggregated form in the table. Detail on the proportion of new build to refurbishment on each project is not routinely collected.
	The figures given do not include those construction projects undertaken by the NHS by means other than the three procurement methods identified. These are predominantly the smaller public capital funded schemes commissioned locally by NHS trusts and PCTs and which are below departmental delegated approval limits.
	
		
			   Number of projects completed 
			 2005-06 129 
			 2006-07 139 
			 2007-08 77 
		
	
	As part of the Department's evidence to the Health Select Committee's 2007 Public Expenditure Inquiry, a survey was undertaken to identify the proportion of new build and refurbishment that featured in major hospital capital projects completed since 1997. An extract is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Question 16: Hospital capital projects completed since 1997 by outline business case (OBC) approval date 
			   Percentage 
			  Strategic health authority  NHS Trust/PCT  Procurement route  Value ( million)  OBC approval date  Of build scheme categorised 'new build'  Of build scheme categorised 'refurbishment' 
			 EM Nottingham University HospitalsQueen's Medical Centre PFI 17 Pre 1997 100 0 
			 SEC Sussex Partnership PFI 22 Pre 1997 100 0 
			 SW Swindon and Marlborough PFI 100 1 December 1993 100 0 
			 NW North Cumbria Acute HospitalsCarlisle PFI 67 1 January 1994 100 0 
			 SC Buckinghamshire HospitalsAmersham PFI 45 1 September 1994 100 0 
			 NE South Tees Acute Hospitals(1) PFI 122 1 October 1994   
			 E of E Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals PFI 158 1 January 1995 100 0 
			 WM Hereford Hospitals PFI 64 1 January 1995 95 5 
			 Lon Bromley Hospitals PFI 118 1 March 1995 100 0 
			 SEC Dartford and Gravesham PFI 94 1 March 1995 100 0 
			 Lon Queen Elizabeth HospitalGreenwich PFI 96 1 April 1995 70 30 
			 Lon St. George's Healthcare PFI 46 1 June 1995 100 0 
			 WM Worcestershire Acute Hospitals PFI 87 1 June 1995 100 0 
			 Lon Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals PFI 54 1 December 1995 100 0 
			 SEC Surrey PCTFarnham PFI 29 1 January 1996 100 0 
			 WM Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health PFI 18 1 May 1996 78 22 
			 Lon Brent PCTWillesden PFI 22 1 September 1996 100 0 
			 E of E East and North Hertfordshire PCT PFI 15 1 October 1996 100 0 
			 Lon Camden and Islington Public capital (PC) 26 1 October 1996 100 0 
			 WM Dudley Group of Hospitals PFI 137 1 November 1996 55 45 
			 Lon North East London Mental Health PFI 11 1 February 1997 100 0 
			 NW Pennine Care PC 24 1 July 1997 75 25 
			 Lon East London and The City Mental HealthNewham PFI 15 1 November 1997 100 0 
			 SW Cornwall PartnershipBodmin PFI 10 17 December 1997 100 0 
			 Y and H Hull and East Yorkshire HospitalsMaternity PFI 22 19 February 1998 100 0 
			 Lon Newham University Hospital PFI 55 1 March 1998 100 0 
			 EM Nottinghamshire Healthcare PFI 19 1 June 1998 97 3 
			 WM Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals PFI 13 1 June 1998 100 0 
			 Lon East London and The City Mental HealthTower Hamlets PC 34 1 September 1998 98 2 
			 SC Buckinghamshire HospitalsStoke Mandeville PFI 47 2 March 1999 93 7 
			 SW Devon PCTTiverton PFI 10 23 April 1999 100 0 
			 Lon West Middlesex University Hospital PFI 60 1 May 1999 100 0 
			 NW East Lancashire HospitalsBurnley(1) PFI 30 1 July 1999   
			 NW Wrightington, Wigan and LeighRoyal Albert Edward Infirmary PC 25 31 July 1999 69 31 
			 SC Berkshire West PCT PFI 19 1 August 1999 100 0 
			 SC Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre PFI 37 1 August 1999 100 0 
			 Lon The Whittington PFI 32 1 October 1999 85 15 
			 NW East Lancashire HospitalsBlackburn(1) PFI 110 31 January 2000   
			 Lon Barts and the London PFI 1,000 1 February 2000 95 5 
			 Lon Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals PFI 238 1 March 2000 100 0 
			 Lon Wandsworth PCTQueen Mary's Roehampton PFI 75 1 April 2000 100 0 
			 NW Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospitals PFI 512 1 May 2000 98 2 
			 SC Oxford Radcliffe Hospitalsrelocation PFI 134 1 May 2000 100 0 
			 WM University Hospitals Coventry and WarwickshireWalsgrave PFI 379 1 July 2000 98 2 
			 WM Sandwell and W Birmingham HospitalsCity Hospital PFI 26 1 November 2000 100 0 
			 Lon Kingston Hospital PFI 33 27 November 2000 100 0 
			 SC Portsmouth Hospitals PFI 236 1 December 2000 75 25 
			 Y and H Leeds Teaching HospitalsWharfedale PFI 14 1 January 2001 100 0 
			 Lon Hammersmith HospitalsRenal Centre PC 25 12 April 2001 100 0 
			 WM North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare PFI 28 1 August 2001 100 0 
			 Y and H Leeds Teaching Hospitals PFI 265 1 September 2001 100 0 
			 NE Northumberland, Tyne and WearMorpeth PFI 32 1 November 2001 100 0 
			 NE Tees, Esk and Wear ValleysWest Park PFI 16 30 November 2001 100 0 
			 SEC Brighton and Sussex Universitychildren's hospital PFI 36 1 February 2002 100 0 
			 Lon West London Mental HealthDSPD Broadmoor PC 36 1 March 2002 100 0 
			 SEC Brighton and Sussex University PC 12 1 March 2002 90 10 
			 SW Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership PFI 83 1 May 2002 75 25 
			 Lon Lewisham Hospital PFI 72 1 June 2002 100 0 
			 EM Northamptonshire Teaching PCT PFI 28 29 June 2002 100 0 
			 SC Oxford Radcliffe HospitalsCancer PFI 129 1 August 2002 100 0 
			 WM University Hospital of North Staffordshire/Stoke on Trent PCT PFI 306 1 August 2002 64 36 
			 Lon North Middlesex University Hospital PFI 111 31 August 2002 100 0 
			 SC Hampshire PCTLymington PFI 36 1 September 2002 100 0 
			 NW St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals PFI 338 25 October 2002 100 0 
			 Y and H Mid Yorkshire HospitalsWakefield and Pontefract PFI 343 31 October 2002 100 0 
			 Y and H Hull and East Yorkshire HospitalsOncology PFI 67 1 November 2002 100 0 
			 NW Blackpool, Fylde and WyreCardiac Centre PC 45 1 January 2003 100 0 
			 Y and H Kirklees PCT PFI 27 1 January 2003 97 3 
			 Lon North West London HospitalsCentral Middlesex PFI 69 1 March 2003 98 2 
			 Lon West London Mental Health PC 14 1 March 2003 100 0 
			 SC Southampton University HospitalsCardiac PC 53 24 March 2003 90 10 
			 SW Taunton and Somerset PFI 21 4 June 2003 100 0 
			 NE Northumberland, Tyne and WearNeuro Disability Centre PFI 37 20 September 2003 100 0 
			 E of E South West Essex Teaching PCT PFI 30 26 November 2003 100 0 
			 EM Lincolnshire Teaching Primary Care NHS Trust PFI 29 1 January 2004 100 0 
			 E of E Ipswich Hospital PFI 36 1 March 2004 100 0 
			 Y and H Hull and East Yorkshire HospitalsCardiac PC 51 1 January 2005 100 0 
			 SC Oxford Radcliffe HospitalsCardiac Centre PC 29 1 March 2005 97 3 
			 SW United Bristol Healthcare/North BristolCardiothoracic Centre PC 64 12 May 2005 100 0 
			 Lon Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children PC 75 14 December 2006 0 100 
			 NW The Cardiothoracic CentreLiverpool PC 49 Post 1997 100 0 
			 SEC Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching PCT PC 14 Post 1997 100 0 
			 SW Plymouth HospitalsSouth West Cardiothoracic Unit PC 31 Post 1997 100 0 
			 WM Royal Wolverhampton HospitalsHeart and Lung Centre PC 57 Post 1997 100 0 
			 Lon Barnet PCT (Edgware Community)(1) PC 40
			 Average 95.0 5.0 
			 (1) Responses were not received from three organisations (four build schemes in total).  Note: No data are available for the 25 build schemes at foundation trusts.

Departmental Conferences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) scheduled date and  (b) title was of each conference proposed to be hosted by his Department and its agencies which was cancelled before taking place in each of the last 10 years; and what costs were incurred in respect of each.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Home Working

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department are authorised to work from home.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's human resources information system currently records four staff as members of its official home working scheme. The Department also allows staff to work at home on an occasional basis at management discretion. No data are kept on these ad hoc arrangements that enable staff to enjoy a more flexible, family friendly working arrangement.
	Our policy is in line with approaches commonly adopted across the civil service and reflects good practice followed by organisations more widely.

Departmental Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average pay per hour worked by  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary staff in his Department in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by pay band.

Ben Bradshaw: The average pay per hour of permanent and temporary civil servants in the Department, broken down by pay band is as follows:
	
		
			  Pay band  Average pay per hour () 
			 Administrative Officer 11.61 
			 Executive Officer 15.12 
			 Higher Executive Officer 18.44 
			 Fast Stream 19.01 
			 Senior Executive Officer 22.73 
			 Grade 7 30.06 
			 Grade 6 38.05 
			 Senior Civil Service Pay Band 1 45.88 
			 Senior Civil Service Pay Band 2 64.43 
			 Senior Civil Service Pay Band 3 103.01 
			  Note: Permanent and temporary staff are not identified separately, but temporary staff account for less than 2 per cent. of the total number of staff. Figures are as at December 2007. They cover basic salaries and have been calculated on the assumption of 220.5 working days in a year and average full-time contracted hours of 36.33 a week.

Departmental Pilot Schemes

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which pilot projects initiated by his Department in the last two years have not proceeded to further roll-out.

Ben Bradshaw: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Press

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department on subscriptions for magazines, newspapers and other publications in each of the last 24 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's Library Service is responsible for central purchasing of newspapers, magazines and other publications for Library use and for retention by individual units. The following table details the monthly spend, by the Library, on print publications in the last 24 months covering the period June 2006 to May 2008.
	
		
			   Spend on magazines, newspapers and other publications () 
			 June 2006 21,946 
			 July 2006 14,905 
			 August 2006 (1)28,552 
			 September 2006 (1)15,660 
			 October 2006 12,963 
			 November 2006 15,397 
			 December 2006 16,602 
			 January 2007 10,958 
			 February 2007 15,146 
			 March 2007 13,526 
			 April 2007 (1)178,067 
			 May 2007 12,097 
			 June 2007 9,191 
			 July 2007 (1)27,619 
			 August 2007 (1)65,877 
			 September 2007 11,895 
			 October 2007 12,581 
			 November 2007 19,662 
			 December 2007 14,848 
			 January 2008 15,914 
			 February 2008 15,555 
			 March 2008 18,508 
			 April 2008 (1)184,589 
			 May 2008 8,505 
			 (1 )Figures include payments for journal subscriptions for the financial year.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) NHS staff and  (b) Department of Health staff were given long-term sick leave for mental health reasons in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not currently collect sickness absence information in the detail requested for national health service staff.
	The Department uses a category of 'mental health, including depression, anxiety and potential stress-related problems' to record absence for mental health reasons. In the calendar year 2007, 20 staff were on sick leave for more than 40 working days for this reason. Figures for previous years are not available.

Departmental Sick Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much sick pay to staff in his Department cost in the last five years for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: In the financial year 2007-08, the average number of working days lost (AWDL) per member of the Department's staff due to sickness absence was 5.3. Based on average salary costs, this equates to a cost of 2,386,000 for the year. For 2006-07, AWDL was 6.5 and for the calendar year 2005, AWDL was 7.0 (Cabinet Office reporting periods changed from calendar years to financial years between 2005 and 2006). Assuming the same average salaries and staff numbers for these years gives costs of 2,926,000 for 2006-07 and 3,151,000 for 2005.
	Figures are not available before 2005.

Departmental Trade Unions

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trade unions represent members of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department and its agencies recognise the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Prospect and FDA for the purposes of representation on matters such as pay and other human resources issues. The vast majority of staff who are members of trade unions belong to one of these three, although a small number are members of other unions that the Department does not formally recognise.

Health Centres

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average annual cost of running a GP surgery is.

Ben Bradshaw: The average annual cost of running a general practitioner practice in England in 2007-08 is currently 889,488.

HIV Infection

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps the Government are taking to encourage primary care trusts to devote more resources to HIV prevention;
	(2)  if he will establish a short-term fund to encourage GP surgeries and other healthcare settings to pilot routine HIV testing to reduce the number of undiagnosed cases of HIV;
	(3)  if he will take steps to persuade other health authorities to adopt targets similar to those of the London Strategic Health Authority on the reduction of the incidence of late diagnosis of HIV.

Dawn Primarolo: It is for primary care trusts to decide on their local priorities for funding. The Department published The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV (copies of which are available in the Library) in 2001, which highlights HIV prevention as a priority area. The Department has supported local action on HIV prevention through a range of publications focusing on the groups at highest risk including gay men and people from African communities.
	As set out in the Health Inequalities: Progress and Next Steps (copies of which are available in the Library), the Department will be funding new work this year to pilot action to reduce undiagnosed HIV by improving the detection and diagnosis of HIV in a variety of settings. The Department has previously funded the Terrence Higgins Trust to pilot the acceptability and effectiveness of community-based HIV and syphilis and this new work will build on the evaluation findings from this earlier work.
	We welcome the work done by NHS London in setting an HIV prevention performance indicator to reduce the incidence of late HIV diagnosis. It is for individual strategic health authorities to decide if they wish to introduce a local indicator on HIV, taking into account local and regional variations in prevalence. The Independent Advisory Group for Sexual Health's review of the Sexual Health and HIV Strategy, will also suggest possible indicators for use at national and local level.

Hospitals

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have  (a) opened and  (b) closed in each constituency in each year since 1997-98.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the number of new hospital schemes commissioned under this Government and which have opened in each constituency in each year since 1997-98 has been placed in the Library.
	Information on any hospital closures outside of these schemes is not held centrally. National health service organisations will decide locally what constitutes the best configuration of healthcare services and facilities for their populations, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders.

Hospitals: Inspections

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in London met each of the Core Standards for Better Health in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Each national health service trust and NHS foundation trust is required to publish a self-declaration of compliance against the Core Standards for Better Health. These declarations are on each trust's website and the Healthcare Commission published the national position on 16 June 2008.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for hospital treatment was in  (a) Chorley,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Average in-patient waiting time for organisations covering Chorley, Lancashire and England 1997 to present 
			Median wait (weeks) 
			   Period  Organisations covering Chorley  Organisations covering Lancashire  England 
			 1997 March 15.4 12.9 13.2 
			 1998 March 16.5 12.8 14.9 
			 1999 March 14.9 11.6 12.9 
			 2000 March 13.3 11.8 12.9 
			 2001 March 12.2 11.6 12.6 
			 2002 March 12.1 12.1 12.7 
			 2003 March 10.0 11.4 11.9 
			 2004 March 9.7 10.0 10.2 
			 2005 March 8.3 8.2 8.5 
			 2006 March 7.6 7.0 7.3 
			 2007 March 4.8 4.7 6.2 
			 2008 March 3.0 3.5 4.5 
			  Notes: 1. Organisations covering Chorley: South Lancashire Health Authority (HA), 1997-2002; Chorley and South Ribble PCT, 2003-06; Central Lancashire primary care trust (PCT), 2007-08 2. Organisations covering Lancashire: South Lancashire HA, East Lancashire HA, North West Lancashire HA, Morecombe Bay HA; 1997-2002 Blackburn With Darwen PCT, Blackpool PCT, Morecombe Bay PCT, Chorley and South Ribble PCT, West Lancashire PCT, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT, Preston PCT, Fylde PCT, Wyre PCT; 2003-06 Blackburn With Darwen PCT, Blackpool PCT, Central Lancashire PCT, East Lancashire PCT, North Lancashire PCT; 2007-08 3. The figures show the median waiting times for patients still waiting at the end of the period.  4. In-patient waiting times are measured from decision to admit by the consultant to admission to hospital. 5. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits.  Source: QF01 and Monthly Monitoring (Commissioner based)

Medical Records: Databases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the draft guidance from the Section 29 Working Party on electronic medical records, what evaluation he has undertaken of the compatibility of the Connecting for Health proposals with the draft guidance; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The 'draft guidance' is contained in a European Union working document, issued for consultation purposes. It does not represent an agreed legal interpretation and has no legal weight attached to it.
	The document, as it stands, suggests that electronic health records should be supported by specific legislation to fully comply with data protection requirements. This is applicable to all electronic health records, not just those being introduced by NHS Connecting for Health. We responded to the consultation suggesting that the document should be amended to better reflect the realities of team-based modern health care and to allow for the impact of United Kingdom domestic common law of confidentiality that runs alongside data protection requirements.
	The Department has sought and received the advice of the Information Commissioner to ensure that the various elements of the national programme for information technology enable users to be fully compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998, which is the domestic legislation that gave effect to the European Directive on Data Protection.

NHS

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered the merits of establishing a legal requirement for NHS trusts to implement recommendations made by  (a) the Healthcare Commission and  (b) the Parliamentary Health Service Commissioner.

Ben Bradshaw: Subject to parliamentary approval, the Healthcare Commission will cease to exist on 1 April 2009, with its regulatory function being replaced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). In the reformed complaints process, we do not envisage the CQC having a direct role in handling individual NHS complaints (other than specific complaints as to discharge of powers or duties under the Mental Health Act, carrying forward the current Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC) role). Unsatisfied complainants will be able to approach the health service ombudsman directly if their complaint cannot be resolved locally. None the less, the issue of learning from complaints is certainly very important.
	However, we do not believe that a specific legal requirement will be necessary. Requirement 10 of the CQC registration requirements, proposed in our recent consultation The future regulation of health and adult social care in England: A consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers, would require registered providers and managers to have effective systems in place for handling complaints. This would place an obligation on care providers to ensure that learning from complaints is reflected in risk management, quality assurance, clinical governance and training and development arrangements. Learning would be informed by a variety of sources, but we would expect recommendations from the Ombudsman and other key sources to play a vital role. The new Care Quality Commission will be able to use the full range of its enforcement powers to take action where people fail to meet those requirements.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the financial position of Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: We recognise the challenging financial position of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust, which reported in its draft accounts a deficit of 35.6 million for the 2007-08 financial year. We are continuing to work with the London strategic health authority as it and the trust's management develop plans for the trust's financial recovery.

NHS: Telecommunications

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1160W, on NHS: telecommunications, what assessment has been made of the impact on the provision of radio and entertainment for patients in the event of the contractor ceasing to support the contracted for service.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not assessed the impact on the provision of radio and entertainment for patients in the event of the contractor ceasing to support the contracted for service. The Department is not party to the contracts, which are made between the national health service trust and its chosen provider.
	It is the responsibility of individual NHS trusts to assess the impact of its provider ceasing to support the service and have in place a contingency plan should this happen.
	The bedside entertainment systems are additional to the provision of services that existed in the past and alternatives could be made available, such as hospital payphones and free televisions in day rooms.

Papillomavirus

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what criteria were taken into account in selecting the vaccine to be used by the NHS for the prevention of human papilloma virus infection;
	(2)  what criteria were used to assess the efficacy of human papilloma virus vaccines in preventing sexual health disorders in the decision-making process to determine which vaccine is available on the NHS.

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons GlaxoSmithKline were selected to provide the vaccine against the human papillomavirus.

Dawn Primarolo: Cervarix, the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline was selected because the bid from this company scored higher in the adjudication process against the pre-agreed award criteria than the competitor.
	The pre-agreed award criteria, as follows, were shared with the manufacturers during the process so that they were fully informed of the criteria against which their bids would be evaluated.
	Award criteria for the evaluation of the contract to supply HPV vaccine
	quality of protection against cervical cancers caused by HPV strains 16/18;
	duration of protection against cervical cancers caused by HPV strains 16/18 for more than 10 years duration;
	quality of protection against anogenital warts caused by HPV strains 6/11;
	duration of protection against anogenital warts caused by HPV strains 6/11 for more than 10 years duration;
	quality of protection against HPV strains not included in the vaccine formulation;
	other evidence of additional clinical benefits;
	effective price per dose excluding VAT;
	supply of the vaccine as single pre-filled syringe pack presentation;
	quality of labelling, leaflets and presentation;
	shelf life;
	flexibility in the vaccine dosage schedule;
	offers that reduce the risk of wastage if the vaccine is subject to temperatures above 8C (this include the provision of temperature indicators and evidence based guidance on the stability of the vaccines at higher storage temperatures and subsequent safe administration.);
	closeness of proposed delivery schedule to authority requirements;
	pallet configuration including a preference for the use of Euro pallets;
	impact of proposed amendments to the terms and conditions;
	quality/robustness of manufacturing contingency arrangements;
	quality/robustness of the risk management of storage and distribution; and
	information provided relating to pack sizes, cold chain delivery, batch numbering systems and production capacity.

Patients

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances his Department requires independent verification of the figures for patient numbers by category provided by the medical director of an NHS trust.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not seek independent verification of patient numbers produced by a national health service medical director.
	The Department, through Connecting for Health, is responsible for setting the national standards for national health service datasets and for the maintenance of NHS datasets supporting these national standards. Datasets are groups of information provided by the NHS, and collected in a standardised way. They cover a range of clinical areas including mental health, acute myocardial infarction, diabetes and cancer.

Pressure Sores

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases were dealt with by the NHS Litigation Authority  (a) in which pressure ulcers were the ground for the claim and  (b) which were settled in the claimants favour in each of the last five years; what the administrative cost was of dealing with the cases in each year; and how much was paid in settlements and compensation in each year.

Ben Bradshaw: The available information requested, provided by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA), is in the following tables; the administrative cost for dealing with the cases in each year is not quantifiable.
	
		
			  Number of clinical negligence claims received from 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2008 by NHSLA where the injury is pressure sore as at 31 May 2008 
			  NHSLA notification year  Number of claims 
			 2003-04 53 
			 2004-05 66 
			 2005-06 66 
			 2006-07 57 
			 2007-08 70 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of closed clinical negligence claims by year of settlement for the last five years where the injury is pressure sore as at 31 May 2008( 1) 
			   Closed with damages payments 
			  Year of settlement  Number of claims  Damages paid  Defence costs paid  Claimant costs paid  Total paid 
			 2003-04 52 858,662 179,653 622,249 1,660,564 
			 2004-05 42 1,342,784 161,989 439,484 1,944,257 
			 2005-06 43 920,532 163,267 638,769 1,722,568 
			 2006-07 47 968,600 190,169 575,264 1,734,033 
			 2007-08 31 497,490 146,353 485,925 1,129,768 
		
	
	
		
			   Closed, nil  damages payments 
			  Year of settlement  Number of claims  Damages paid  Defence costs paid  Claimant costs paid  Total paid 
			 2003-04 6 0 0 0 0 
			 2004-05 14 0 14,457 0 14,457 
			 2005-06 19 0 21,073 9 21,082 
			 2006-07 13 0 9,560 0 9,560 
			 2007-08 8 0 50 0 50 
		
	
	
		
			   Total 
			  Year of settlement  Number of claims  Damages paid  Defence costs paid  Claimant costs paid  Total paid 
			 2003-04 58 858,662 179,653 622,249 1,660,564 
			 2004-05 56 1,342,784 176,446 439,484 1,958,714 
			 2005-06 62 920,532 184,340 638,778 1,743,650 
			 2006-07 60 968,600 199,729 575,264 1,743,593 
			 2007-08 39 497,490 146,403 485,925 1,129,818 
			 (1) These are the claims settled in the last five years; they are not the claims received in any one yearclaims can take several financial years to settle. In addition, the money was not likely to have been spent solely in the year the claim was settled (the NHSLA's defence costs, for example, are paid quarterly through the life of the claim).

Skin Piercing

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will initiate a review of legislation on local authority monitoring of piercing businesses from 2010.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has no current plans to review legislation on local authority regulation of cosmetic piercing businesses.

University College Hospital: Inspections

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the Core Standards for Better Health were met by University College Hospital in the most recent period for which information is available; and which of the standards the hospital did not meet in that period.

Ben Bradshaw: As part of the Healthcare Commission's Annual Health Check for 2007-08, University College London Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust declared compliance with all 43 applicable parts of the 24 core standards.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Biofuels

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of biofuels in ordinary petrol and diesel is made up of biofuel; and what biofuels are primarily being used for these purposes.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	Current fuel quality standards permit the blending of up to 5 per cent. of biofuel into ordinary petrol and diesel. The renewable transport fuel obligation, which came into effect on 15 April 2008, is likely to mean that over the period from 15 April 2008 to 14 April 2009, 2.5 per cent. in aggregate of total UK road transport fuel sales will be made up of biofuels. In practice, we expect that road transport fuel suppliers will for the most part comply with this obligation by blending biodiesel into their diesel fuel, which is likely to mean that most diesel sold at UK forecourts over this period will contain near the maximum of 5 per cent. biodiesel, with some petrol also containing up to 5 per cent. bioethanol.
	The Renewable Fuels Agency, which administers the RTFO, will be reporting on matters such as the nature of the biofuels sold to comply with the RTFO in due course.

Consumer Protection: Tattooing

Patricia Hewitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to protect consumers who use an organisation providing tattoos and/or tattoo removal in the UK.

Gareth Thomas: Local authorities have powers to regulate tattooing businesses under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. Under this legislation, a tattooing business is required to register with the local authority and observe local byelaws in relation to hygiene and cleanliness of the tattooist, equipment and premises. It is an offence for the tattooing business to trade without being registered or to breach the local byelaws.
	Local authorities may also use health and safety at work legislation to regulate tattooing businesses if they judge that there is a risk to customers' health and safety. This allows local authorities to use improvement and prohibition notices, and ultimately to prosecute businesses if necessary.
	If consumers are dissatisfied with the quality of the art work or the terms and conditions under which the work is done (as opposed to a health or hygiene issue) they have protection under general consumer law. For example, the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 requires a trader who agrees to provide a service to carry out that service with reasonable care and skill and in a timely manner. It also requires that any goods and materials supplied are of satisfactory quality. If the trader fails to comply with these requirements, the law treats the matter as breach of contract.
	The Healthcare Commission currently regulates tattoo removals which are carried out surgically or by using class 3B or 4 laser equipment.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1239W, on departmental official hospitality, when he expects the list of hospitality received by senior civil servants in his Department in 2007 to be published.

Gareth Thomas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 885W.

Employment Tribunals

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many claims of discrimination on the grounds of  (a) disability,  (b) gender reassignment,  (c) religion,  (d) sex,  (e) race,  (f) age and  (g) sexual orientation were made to employment tribunals in each of the last 10 years; how many such cases were heard by tribunals in each of those years; and in how many cases heard by a tribunal the claimant was successful in each of those years.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of discrimination cases received and successful at hearing from 1999-2000 to 2006-07 
			   1999-2000  2000-01 
			   Main jurisdiction mix of claims accepted  Heard at tribunal  Successful at tribunal  All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted( 1)  Heard at tribunal  Successful at tribunal 
			 Sex(2) 4,926 866 233 25,940 1,258 417 
			 Disability 1,743 292 67 4,630 772 185 
			 Race 3,246 632 170 4,238 1,112 220 
			 Religion or belief(3) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Sexual orientation(3) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Age(4) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Total 9,915 1,790 470 34,808 3,142 822 
		
	
	
		
			   2001-02  2002-03 
			   All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted( 1)  Heard at tribunal  Successful at tribunal  All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted( 1)  Heard at tribunal  Successful at tribunal 
			 Sex(2) 15,703 1,136 368 11,001 1,121 363 
			 Disability 5,273 618 137 5,310 678 148 
			 Race 3,889 829 129 3,638 725 115 
			 Religion or belief(3) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Sexual orientation(3) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Age(4) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Total 24,865 2,583 634 19,949 2,524 626 
		
	
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05 
			   All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted( 1)  Heard at tribunal  Successful at tribunal  All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted( 1)  Heard at tribunal  Successful at tribunal 
			 Sex(2) 17,722 882 306 11,726 1,076 299 
			 Disability 5,655 587 156 4,942 802 236 
			 Race 3,492 761 120 3,317 710 (5)107 
			 Religion or belief(3) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Sexual orientation(3) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Age(4) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) (5) 
			 Total 26,869 2,230 582 19,985 2,588 642 
		
	
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			   All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted( 1)  Heard at tribunal  Successful at tribunal  All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted( 1)  Heard at tribunal  Successful at tribunal 
			 Sex(2) 14,250 4,846 4,068 28,153 1,253 463 
			 Disability 4,585 671 173 5,533 640 149 
			 Race 4,103 719 119 3,780 728 102 
			 Religion or belief(3) 486 72 9 648 112 12 
			 Sexual orientation(3) 395 61 14 470 75 21 
			 Age(4) (5) (5) (5) 972 11 0 
			 Total 23,819 6,369 4,383 39,556 2,819 747 
			 (1) Claims may have more than one jurisdiction. The reporting of this information changed in 2004 and for consistency figures are given here for all jurisdictional claims with the exception of 1999-2000 figures which are for principal jurisdiction only. (2) Includes discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment see 'The Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999' (3) Information is available from 2005-06 onwards following introduction of new legislation. (4) Information is available from 2006-07 onwards following introduction of new legislation. (5) Not collected.  Note: It is not possible to ascertain the numbers of withdrawals at hearing therefore withdrawn appeals are excluded.  Source: Employment Tribunals Service annual report and statistics for the years 1999-2000 to 2005-06 and Employment Appeal Tribunal and Employment Tribunals Service annual statistics 2006-07

Energy: Disconnections

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many customers have been disconnected by energy providers over the last eight quarters, broken down by energy company.

Malcolm Wicks: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) collects and publishes data about gas and electricity disconnections. In the eight quarters to quarter 3 2007, the last period for which data have been published, the number of disconnections for debt by supplier was:
	
		
			  Number of customers disconnected for debt each quarter 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			   Q4  Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4  Q1  Q2  Q3 
			  Electricity 
			 British Gas 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ecotricity 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EDF Energy 61 45 66 103 99 71 89 181 
			 Good Energy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 npower 4 13 51 95 102 117 94 87 
			 npower Northern 2 31 7 5 28 34 22 61 
			 npower Yorkshire 2 4 0 3 41 87 32 46 
			 Powergen 54 107 52 48 26 49 79 124 
			 Scottish and Southern 27 11 26 23 37 50 64 31 
			 Scottish Power 17 2 23 85 124 136 202 142 
			 Telecom Plus (Electricity Plus Supply) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 First Utility 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Utilita 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 168 213 226 362 457 544 582 672 
			  
			  Gas 
			 British Gas 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Countrywide Gas 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 EDF Energy 143 81 118 161 166 120 206 278 
			 npower 171 298 366 382 340 602 543 490 
			 npower Northern 0 40 9 16 56 52 33 54 
			 npower Yorkshire 14 20 20 22 68 57 33 38 
			 Powergen 198 194 163 188 99 189 153 293 
			 Scottish and Southern 142 78 156 172 187 162 293 132 
			 Scottish Power 30 12 30 171 241 205 277 177 
			 Telecom Plus (Gas Plus Supply) 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 
			 First Utility 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Utilita 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 698 723 865 1,112 1,159 1,389 1,538 1,462 
			  
			 Total electricity and gas 866 936 1,091 1,474 1,616 1,933 2,120 2,134

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from his Department plan to attend the Beijing Olympic games; for what purpose in each case; and what estimate he has made of the cost.

Gareth Thomas: My noble Friend the Minister for Trade Promotion and Investment will be in Beijing from Thursday 21 August - Tuesday 26 August and will attend the closing ceremony only of the Olympic games.
	The purpose of Lord Jones' visit is to promote British business capability, foreign direct investment and partnership opportunities in general as well as business opportunities arising from the London 2012 games. During his visit Lord Jones will support several key business events and initiatives.

Seals: Animal Products

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made on the recent discussions with the European Commission on the introduction of an EU-wide ban on the importation of seal products; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: We expect the European Commission to announce shortly what measures it intends to propose concerning the trade in seal products.

Wood

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much timber and timber products were procured by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what cost.

Gareth Thomas: The Departments accounts system does not report the information requested in this format. BERR's published annual report and accounts contains information on its tangible fixed assets, which includes an additions category entitled furniture, fixtures and fittings. These accounts can be found on the BERR website at the following address:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the rate of voter registration was in the 100 most deprived wards in Northern Ireland  (a) one year before and  (b) one year after the introduction of individual registration.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is responsible for the maintenance of the electoral register and inquiries relating to the rate of voter registration in Northern Ireland should be made directly to him.

Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 2007

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when Article 18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 will be commenced.

Paul Goggins: Article 18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 was a statement of intent by the Government to align the definition of a juvenile under PACE with other legislation and International Conventions. Its inclusion was on the proviso that commencement could only take place when a supporting infrastructure was in place to facilitate its effective introduction. A programme of work is currently underway and it is envisaged that these measures will be in place by late 2009.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Expenditure

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what costs were incurred for  (a) subsistence and  (b) flights for staff of the Historical Enquiries Team in each year since its establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Historical Enquiries Team have provided me with the following answer.
	The HET began its work in January 2006. Costs incurred for subsistence from this date are not readily identifiable or available. Costs in relation to flights for HET staff are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  HETflight costs 
			
			 2006-07 213,015.77 
			 2007-08 270,599.81 
			 1 April 2008to date 61,002.00

Terrorism

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) serving and  (b) former members of the (i) Police Service of Northern Ireland, (ii) Royal Irish Regiment and (iii) Northern Ireland Prison Service have moved from their homes after being targeted by (A) Republican and (B) Loyalist paramilitaries in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: The following table details the information(1) requested from June 2007 to June 2008.
	(1) The statistics are provided on the basis that a member may not necessarily be targeted, but rather a threat exists which if not actioned could lead to the officer being at risk of serious injury or death were they to remain at their home address.
	
		
			   Former members  Serving members 
			  Attribution  Republican  Loyalist  Republican  Loyalist 
			 PSNI 1 0 10 1 
			 RIR 0 0 0 0 
			 NIPS 0 0 1 1

Terrorism

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in  (a) assisting the police force in the Irish Republic in the apprehension of those responsible for the murder of Paul Quinn and  (b) ensuring that the IRA Army Council disbands as a matter of urgency.

Paul Goggins: PSNI has confirmed that they are actively involved in the investigation into Paul Quinn's murder and meet regularly with An Garda Siochana to monitor progress.
	It is Government's view that all vestiges of Northern Ireland's paramilitary history, including the Army Council, should be relegated to the past where they belong.

JUSTICE

Departmental Conferences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) scheduled date and  (b) title was of each conference proposed to be hosted by his Department and its agencies which was cancelled before taking place in each of the last 10 years; and what costs were incurred in respect of each.

Michael Wills: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 June 2008,  Official Report, column 241W.
	The Department does not hold information on organising and hosting conferences centrally and an answer to the above question can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many jobs his Department expects to relocate under the policy of civil service job dispersal.

Michael Wills: At 31 March 2008 the Ministry of Justice had relocated 600 civil service posts from London and the South East against a target of 280 posts under the Lyons relocation policy.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its agencies spent on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08.

Maria Eagle: In 2007-08 The Ministry of Justice and its agencies spent a total of 263,890 on marketing and branding. The breakdown is given as follows:
	
		
			   
			   Marketing  Branding 
			 Ministry of Justice 55,000 71,956 
			 Her Majesty's Courts Service 2,100 0 
			 National Offender Management Service including HM Prison Service and National Probation Service 132,059 0 
			 Office for Criminal Justice Reform 0 446 
			 Office of the Public Guardian 27,329 0 
			 Tribunals Service 0 0 
			 Total 216,488 47,402

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on  (a) new furnishings,  (b) art and  (c) new vehicles by his Department in each of the last three years.

Michael Wills: The responses for each element of the Department are as follows:
	 MOJ Headquarters
	
		
			  New furnishings 
			million 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 0.847 
		
	
	This represents capitalised expenditure; resource expenditure is not separately identifiable. These figures may not include a small amount purchased as part of building upgrades.
	0.502 million of the 2007-08 expenditure relates to technical, advisory, artistic and management fees in respect of the fit-out of the new Supreme Court building at Middlesex Guildhall. The remainder represents furniture for the Ministry's new headquarters building at 102 Petty France.
	 Art
	There has been 95,000 spent on art for the new headquarters building, against a total budget of 470,000. This budget covers four art installations currently works in progress.
	 New Vehicles
	The department leases all vehicles through its Office of Government Commerce contracts; there is no purchasing of new vehicles:
	
		
			  Leased vehicles for MOJ Headquarters, HMCS and tribunals 
			million 
			 2005-06 1.1 
			 2006-07 1.2 
			 2007-08 1.5 
		
	
	 HMCS
	
		
			  Furnishings 
			million 
			 2005-06 0.419 
			 2006-07 0.925 
			 2007-08 1.019 
		
	
	This represents capitalised expenditure; resource expenditure is not separately identifiable. These figures may not include a small amount purchased as part of building upgrades.
	 Art
	This category of expenditure is not separately identifiable.
	 New Vehicles
	Figures included above.
	 Tribunals Service
	
		
			  Furnishings 
			
			 2006-07 (1) 
			 2007-08 (2) 
			 (1) Capitalised nil; non-capitalised 56,000. (2) Capitalised 139,000 (includes 33,000 for storage systems); non-capitalised 73,000. 
		
	
	 Art
	Nil.
	 New Vehicles
	Figures included above.
	The Tribunals Service did not exist in 05-06, hence no figures provided.
	 HMPS
	 Furnishings
	HMPS policy is to make furniture in-house from raw materials sourced from a range of suppliers, rather than buy the furniture as finished products.
	 Art
	Nil.
	 Vehicles
	Total value of new vehicles purchased in 2007-08 was 3,215,278. This equates to 174 purchased vehicles covering a wide range of vehicle types from pool cars, minibuses, and vans to heavy goods vehicles. It does not include expenditure on mechanical handling equipment such as fork lift trucks, dumper trucks, and tugs.
	HMPS Transport Unit has only been under the direction of the Ministry of Justice since last year and therefore only figures for 2007-08 have been provided.
	 NOMS Centre
	
		
			  Furniture and fittings 
			000 
			 2005-06 31 
			 2006-07 4 
			 2007-08 0 
		
	
	These figures may not include a small amount purchased as part of building upgrades.
	 Art and Leased Vehicles
	These categories of expenditure are not separately identifiable.
	 Purchased vehicles
	Nil
	 Probation Boards
	
		
			  Furnishings 
			000 
			 2005-06 562 
			 2006-07 555 
			 2007-08 0 
		
	
	This represents capitalised expenditure; resource expenditure is not separately identifiable. These figures may not include a small amount purchased as part of building upgrades.
	 Art
	This category of expenditure is not separately identifiable.
	
		
			  New Vehicles 
			million 
			 2005-06 1.2 
			 2006-07 0.9 
			 2007-08 0.7 
		
	
	 OPG
	
		
			  Furnishings 
			000 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 44 
		
	
	 Art
	Nil.
	 New Vehicles
	Nil.
	Central Government Departments actively seek to buy all wood and wood products (including furniture) from legal and sustainable sources. From April 2009, departments will be required to procure legal and sustainable timber or timber licensed under the EU's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) initiative.
	The Government also funds a Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) which provides free advice and guidance to help all public sector buyers and their suppliers meet the policy.

Driving Offences: Sentencing

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average sentence handed down by courts in England and Wales was for people convicted of motoring offences that resulted in a fatality in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The requested information is contained in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  Number of persons sentenced( 1)  by result and average custodial sentence length( 2)  for motoring offences that resulted in a fatality, all courts, England and Wales, 2002 - 06 
			  Number of persons and average custodial sentence length (months) 
			   Offence description  Absolute discharge  Conditional discharge  Fine  Community sentence  Fully suspended sentence  Immediate custody  Otherwise dealt with  Average custodial sentence length( 2) 
			 2002 Motoring offences that resulted in a fatality(3)   6 17 13 268 1 39.2 
			 2003 Motoring offences that resulted in a fatality(3) 1  1 7 11 286 1 42.5 
			 2004 Motoring offences that resulted in a fatality(3) 1  3 9 13 288  43.5 
			 2005 Motoring offences that resulted in a fatality(3)  1 3 20 11 308  43.7 
			 2006 Motoring offences that resulted in a fatality(3)   2 8 8 280 1 42.6 
			 (1 )These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. Figures are given in months. (3 )Motoring offences that resulted in a fatality that have been identified include:  Causing death by dangerous driving  Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs  Aggravated taking of a vehicleWhere, owing to the driving of the vehicle, an accident occurs causing the death of any person.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source:  OMS Analytical Services

Fines: Surcharges

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the victim surcharge raised in each Government Office region in its first year of operation.

Maria Eagle: The victims surcharge has been levied on fines at a rate of 15 since April 2007. Information about receipts is available by court service regions, which do not correspond exactly to Government office regions. The following table assigns victims surcharge receipts for April 2007 to March 2008, the first year of operation of the surcharge, as closely as possible to Government office regions.
	
		
			  Victims surcharge receipts 2007-08 
			  Region   
			 London 549,063 
			 East and West Midlands 731,775 
			 Yorkshire, Humberside and North East 608,095 
			 North West 510,103 
			 South East and East 730,606 
			 South West 410,656 
			 Wales 242,893 
			 Total 3,783,191 
		
	
	In the year of introduction, victims surcharge receipts were less than the 16 million estimated for a fully operational year. Arrangements were put in place for any shortfall in funding committed to victims services to be made good from elsewhere in the Ministry of Justice vote.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether home information packs have been commissioned by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies to market a residential property.

Maria Eagle: During the financial year 2007-08, the Ministry of Justice's custodial property sold 12,132,999 of surplus land and property which included approximately 50 houses. These houses were declared surplus to the operational estate. These properties were identified in the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice) to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 7 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1424-27W. 20 of these were marketed post December 2007 and were therefore sold with home information packs.

Information Commissioner

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints about  (a) data protection and  (b) freedom of information the Information Commissioner (i) received and (ii) completed investigations on in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: During the financial year 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08, the Information Commissioner's Office dealt with the following freedom of information and data protection casework.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			   Received  Completed  Received  Completed  Received  Completed 
			 DPA 22,059 21,887 23,988 24,084 24,851 25,592 
			 FOIA 2,713 1,666 2,592 2,601 2,646 2,658

Information Commissioner

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the time taken by the Information Commissioner to  (a) acknowledge and  (b) investigate a complaint in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average time taken was by the Information Commissioner to  (a) acknowledge receipt,  (b) institute action and  (c) complete the investigation of cases referred to him under (i) freedom of information and (ii) data protection legislation (A) in the most recent period for which figures are available and (B) in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: The Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) policy is to resolve complaints at first examination where appropriate. In these cases, no initial acknowledgment is sent. In all other cases, an acknowledgment letter is sent to the complainant advising what will happen next, and the complaint is referred to the appropriate ICO department.
	The most recent period for which figures are available is the 2007-08 financial year. In 2007-08, 35 per cent. of all data protection cases and 54 per cent. of all freedom of information cases were resolved with the first letter to the complainant. 52 per cent. of all data protection and freedom of information cases were resolved within 14 calendar days of receipt, with 100 per cent. of these cases resolved or referred for investigation in under 40 calendar days.
	In 2007-08, it took an average of 69 calendar days from receipt to allocate freedom of information cases to a case officer. In total it took an average of 182 calendar days (including the time taken to allocate each case) to resolve the freedom of information cases closed during the year.
	In 2007-08, it took an average of 30 calendar days from receipt to allocate data protection cases to a case officer. In total it took an average of 45 calendar days (including the time taken to allocate each case), to resolve the data protection cases closed during the year.

Information Commissioner

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the resources available to the Information Commissioner to investigate his workload of complaints promptly.

Michael Wills: The Government are committed to both freedom of information and data protection. An important part of that commitment is ensuring that the Information Commissioner is adequately funded to fulfil all of his statutory responsibilities. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) regularly review the resources available to the Commissioner and as part of that dialogue my Department provides constructive challenge to ensure that the ICO delivers maximum efficiency and secures best value for the public money allocated for those statutory responsibilities.
	The ICO's freedom of information work is funded by grant in aid paid through my department. In response to business cases presented by the ICO, in each of the last four financial years my Department has paid the ICO a larger sum in grant in aid than the amount in the original baseline for each year. In addition, my Department is promoting a secondment scheme to assist the ICO in tackling the outstanding backlog of freedom of information cases. Secondees from central Government Departments, paid for by their Departments, will work at the ICO on the outstanding freedom of information cases.
	The Commissioner's data protection work is funded separately through notification fees paid by data controllers under s.26 of the Data Protection Act 1998, which his office retains with the agreement of HM Treasury. In 2006-07, this was 10,200,000.
	As I made clear in my response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights' 22nd Report, the Government are currently considering the Commissioner's case for increased resources for his data protection work. This includes the recommendation of the House of Common's Justice Committee report Protection of Private Data (January 2008) that a graduated fee scale be introduced to replace the current flat fee that applies to all data controllers.
	My Department will continue to ensure that if the ICO is required to undertake additional or new responsibilities then these will be appropriately funded. For example, it was announced in November 2007 that the ICO would carry out spot checks of central Government Departments. The Departments being checked will pay the costs of the spot checks.

Information Commissioner

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will discuss with the Information Commissioner the prompt acknowledgement of complaints from  (a) the general public and  (b) hon. Members; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will discuss with the Information Commissioner the prioritisation of complaints to him by hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: I meet regularly with the Information Commissioner to discuss operational issues.
	The Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) current policy is to resolve complaints on first examination whenever possible. No initial acknowledgement is sent in these circumstances. Instead, a case that can be dealt with quickly is resolved on first examination. In all other cases, an acknowledgment letter is sent to the complainant advising what will happen next and the complaint is referred to an appropriate ICO department. The ICO aims to resolve or acknowledge all complaints within 14 calendar days of receipt.
	However, mindful of the need to keep its customers as well informed as possible and that delays can arise, the ICO is currently considering ways to automatically acknowledge all complaints as they arrive.
	Prioritisation of cases that relate to particular issues or events is considered on a case by case basis. Likewise, if a complaint raised by an hon. Member raises an issue which the ICO feels necessitates its prioritisation over a complaint made by a member of the public it will similarly consider this on a case by case basis.

Magistrates: Resignations

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many magistrates are expected to leave the magistracy in the financial year 2008-09.

Jack Straw: 811 magistrates are due to retire during the financial year 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. The number of magistrates leaving for all reasons (including retirement, resignation, death etc.) varies widely but averages approximately 1,500 per annum.

Magistrates: Wales

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many magistrates are employed in courts in Wales; how many of those are expected to leave the magistracy in 2008-09; and how many magistrates his Department expects to recruit to courts in Wales in 2008-09.

Jack Straw: At the financial year ending 31 March 2008, there were 1,939 serving magistrates throughout Wales.
	During the financial year 2008-09, 55 magistrates are expected to retire, or have already retired. An unknown number of magistrates are expected to leave due to other reasons such as resignation, transfer etc.
	During the financial year 2008-09, it is expected that 136 magistrates will be recruited throughout Wales. This is based on predicted business need.

Parking Offences

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much income was derived by local authorities and police authorities from parking  (a) charges and  (b) penalties in each financial year since 1997-98; and what proportion was collected through penalty charge notices in each of these years;
	(2)  how many parking enforcement tickets were issued in each police authority in England in each year since 1997.

Jack Straw: Available information from 1997 to 2006 (latest available) on police issued fixed penalty notices is provided in the table. The data, available on a calendar year basis, do not distinguish between obstruction, waiting and parking enforcements.
	Information on revenue generated from fixed penalties and penalty charge notices is not collected centrally. The fixed penalty information on amount paid in the table does not take into account money generated from action taken as a result of non-payment nor money reimbursed from cases that reached adjudication. No information on amounts paid is collected centrally for penalty charge notices.
	
		
			  Fixed penalty notices issued( 1)  by police force area for obstruction, waiting and parking offences( 2,)( )( 3) , England, 1997  to  2006 
			  Number of offences 
			   Number of tickets 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 58,114 52,920 49,526 34,552 25,831 22,482 17,652 14,211 10,112 11,067 
			 Bedfordshire 35,469 34,592 5,175 3,487 2,991 3,602 2,235 814 579 777 
			 Cambridgeshire 32,501 28,780 30,387 32,676 33,287 32,237 22,460 9,680 3,240 4,645 
			 Cheshire 32,260 30,186 25,925 19,251 17,532 15,777 15,939 14,842 11,203 11,180 
			 Cleveland 21,700 22,866 18,634 15,487 10,635 15,723 8,522 4,598 2,955 862 
			 Cumbria 20,802 23,164 12,954 5,860 5,758 2,387 1,816 558 609 699 
			 Derbyshire 23,873 25,999 22,926 22,259 18,792 16,411 15,781 13,250 8,432 5,855 
			 Devon and Cornwall 80,535 84,879 77,911 77,877 59,410 59,635 57,701 53,325 44,491 41,985 
			 Dorset 40,725 32,790 32,708 31,259 25,500 8,034 635 371 305 494 
			 Durham 15,041 15,914 12,140 16,084 12,522 12,500 5,668 1,925 1,755 4,183 
			 Essex 59,758 58,928 49,235 40,662 29,773 23,535 9,957 8,204 3,127 3,128 
			 Gloucestershire 33,418 31,067 28,468 28,528 26,500 26,411 27,704 21,889 14,503 14,521 
			 Greater Manchester 166,249 141,898 78,849 71,059 43,383 34,823 27,964 21,646 13,303 8,893 
			 Hampshire 70,480 66,256 50,945 31,627 40,024 22,699 18,392 13,792 12,022 7,427 
			 Hertfordshire 52,956 31,222 36,066 32,577 32,712 27,054 9,217 6,496 2,335 1,525 
			 Humberside 29,030 25,993 23,912 26,598 25,704 26,506 25,504 27,068 28,256 15,967 
			 Kent 65,044 58,712 48,758 3,685 1,712 1,090 985 953 783 820 
			 Lancashire 94,883 82,845 71,464 64,935 55,998 47,733 31,779 17,717 1,939 1,717 
			 Leicestershire 53,343 49,080 45,725 37,990 39,888 41,654 31,024 20,357 4,126 20,993 
			 Lincolnshire 29,067 26,650 15,488 15,895 15,725 16,659 18,563 18,201 14,362 11,631 
			 London, City of 666 1,109 728 438 513 741 681 188 238 235 
			 Merseyside 98,235 97,522 86,924 61,249 49,971 35,992 17,602 13,648 17,038 13,946 
			 Metropolitan Police 160,851 205,877 192,110 196,992 141,797 141,968 209,221 162,463 27,739 25,006 
			 Norfolk 36,350 30,755 26,389 25,339 23,880 10,138 9,532 8,109 7,175 n/a 
			 Northamptonshire 29,576 27,854 21,274 12,874 7,988 4,457 3,701 2,197 2,037 3,072 
			 Northumbria 47,599 45,656 40,384 44,696 57,804 48,685 30,439 42,426 19,700 17,543 
			 North Yorkshire 22,132 19,977 20,439 13,531 14,435 9,436 5,670 7,031 5,881 5,099 
			 Nottinghamshire 42,023 37,006 34,871 31,527 24,515 13,387 6,635 7,676 4,490 5,369 
			 South Yorkshire 28,260 30,854 26,705 28,948 30,366 29,362 27,556 18,873 6,067 1,293 
			 Staffordshire 26,456 27,468 21,260 11,941 9,161 7,276 8,411 9,348 9,919 9,666 
			 Suffolk 23,043 21,758 20,575 20,839 18,953 20,440 20,197 20,119 14,388 5,421 
			 Surrey 25,620 25,407 20,550 21,435 22,962 25,044 16,130 9,717 7,449 3,892 
			 Sussex 120,257 111,866 101,976 119,771 71,971 47,516 46,183 48,178 45,199 41,087 
			 Thames Valley 77,977 76,949 66,457 51,921 37,414 34,611 24,785 22,121 20,478 5,787 
			 Warwickshire 15,551 18,022 16,749 13,802 15,355 16,556 14,041 13,037 10,975 8,930 
			 West Mercia 26,225 26,142 28,690 22,737 17,108 17,384 12,454 9,198 6,412 5,804 
			 West Midlands 156,274 148,970 119,890 88,154 64,048 46,446 53,133 46,138 33,695 27,463 
			 West Yorkshire 69,618 63,563 60,342 61,144 55,303 55,982 54,178 55,016 38,017 22,928 
			 Wiltshire 16,030 15,454 12,897 10,211 7,451 8,395 5,618 2,388 2,792 2,206 
			 England 2,037,991 1,956,950 1,656,406 1,449,897 1,194,672 1,030,768 915,665 767,768 458,126 373,116 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys 14,460 14,176 18,032 17,483 13,863 17,081 13,780 9,482 10,208 10,175 
			 Gwent 20,884 22,116 20,668 19,590 17,765 19,041 19,714 17,316 14,414 17,450 
			 North Wales 21,752 19,181 16,473 16,080 13,127 10,584 12,272 8,729 6,638 4,971 
			 South Wales 104,155 105,654 96,574 92,310 85,622 87,532 81,575 79,205 84,111 84,236 
			 Wales 161,251 161,127 151,747 145,463 130,377 134,238 127,341 114,732 115,371 116,832 
			
			 England and Wales 2,199,242 2,118,077 1,808,153 1,595,360 1,325,049 1,165,006 1,043,006 882,500 573,497 489,948 
			 n/a = data not available. (1) Paid i.e. no further action. For 2006. Norfolk police were unable to submit data due to technical reasons. (2 )Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s.22; Transport Act 2000 ss.173 (5); 173 (6); 173 (7); 174 (3); 175 (2); 175 (3); 175 (4); 190; Highway Act 1835 ss 72 and 78; RTA1888 ss. 19 * 21; Highways Act 1980 s. 137 (1); Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 ss 5 (1), 8, 32-38 and 45-53; Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 Regs. 101 and 103: Transport Act 2000 Part III; Metropolitan Police Act 1839 s. 54 (1). (3) Does not include Decriminalised Parking Enforcements (DPE).  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent per prisoner per year in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: In 2006-07 the average resource cost per prisoner was 37,500. The figure includes the total expenditure of HM Prison Service and also prison-related expenditure met centrally by the National Offender Management Service. Expenditure on health and education met by other Government Departments is not included.

Safety Belts: Children

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2008,  Official Report, column 477W, on safety belts: children, how many persons have been prosecuted for offences relating to transporting children under the age of 12 years in vehicles without an appropriate car seat since September 2006.

Maria Eagle: Available information held centrally by my Department on the prosecution of seat belt offences is only in respect of the person being prosecuted (age, gender and outcome in court) and does not cover the circumstances of each case.

Tribunals: Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what mechanisms are in place to enforce decisions made by employment tribunals.

Bridget Prentice: Employment tribunals cannot enforce their awards. However, awards can be enforced in the county court. The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act of 2007 will allow the claimant to go straight to bailiffs for enforcement rather than through registration at a county court. Implementation of these procedures is currently scheduled for April 2009.

TREASURY

Car Allowances

Robert Key: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2008,  Official Report, column 536W, on car allowances, whether he plans to publish the results of the review.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 11 June 2008
	Following analysis of the information received during the review into the taxation of business travel, a report will be published in due course this year. A final date is yet to be set.

Charitable Donations

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised for charities through payroll giving in the last year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Figures on amounts raised for charities through payroll giving can be found on the National Statistics website at the link provided. The 2007-08 figure is provisional and subject to change.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/table10-8.pdf

Child Care Vouchers

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish his Department's analysis of the care vouchers system.

Jane Kennedy: There is no official data collected on the number of employers who offer or employees who receive childcare vouchers. Employers are not required to report this data to HMRC.
	HMRC commissioned research by the National Centre for Social Research into the reform of the Income Tax and National Insurance rules for employer supported childcare. This report was published in December 2006 and is available on the HMRC website at the following link
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/research-report23.htm.

Child Tax Credit: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Tamworth constituency were in receipt of child tax credit in each year since the tax credit was introduced; and how much was paid in credits in that area in each such year.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC do not produce statistics separately for child tax credit and working tax credit.
	Estimates of the number of families with tax credits, including information on average annual entitlements, in 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 in each local authority, based on final family circumstances and incomes, are published in Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Annual Awards. Geographical Analyses for each relevant year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	The information on the number of out-of-work families includes those who are receiving child support through income support and jobseeker's allowance.

East Midlands Development Agency: Finance

Edward Garnier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the East Midlands Development Agency has received from HM Treasury in each of the financial years for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The RDAs' are financed through a Single Budget, which pools money from six contributing Government Departments.
	The following table shows East Midlands Development Agency's annual budgets.
	
		
			  Financial year   million 
			 2007-08 176 
			 2006-07 161 
			 2005-06 168 
			 2004-05 119 
			 2003-04 117 
			 2002-03 101 
			 2001-02 86 
			 2000-01 67 
			 1999-2000 41

Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many of his Department's staff were prosecuted for  (a) attempting to defraud and  (b) defrauding the tax credit system in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many of his Department's staff were prosecuted for  (a) attempting to defraud or  (b) defrauding the child trust fund system in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many of his Department's staff were prosecuted for  (a) attempting to defraud or  (b) defrauding his Department in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the losses to his Department from fraud committed by staff in the child trust fund system in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of the losses to his Department from fraud committed by staff of his Department in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  how many employees in his Department  (a) defrauded and  (b) attempted to defraud the child trust fund system in each year since it was established; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  how many staff in his Department were responsible for each instance of  (a) fraud and  (b) attempted fraud in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  on how many occasions staff employed by his Department have defrauded his Department in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: There have been no prosecutions or internal disciplinary cases on the basis of fraud in HM Treasury for any of the last 10 years other than in 2006. The procedures for investigating cases of fraud were initiated less than five times in 2006. Exact numbers are therefore not available on the grounds of confidentiality.
	Prior to 2005, the Treasury only kept records of disciplinary cases that were proven. Information on fraud cases that were initiated but not proven is not available.
	Estimates for losses incurred by HM Treasury are not available and cannot be provided because this would involve disproportionate cost.

Revenue and Customs

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  for what reasons the HM Revenue and Customs office in Chorley was  (a) originally earmarked to remain open and  (b) subsequently scheduled for closure;
	(2)  what conclusions were reached as a result of the initial consultation and feasibility work on whether Chorley HM Revenue and Customs office should be scheduled for closure;
	(3)  for what reasons  (a) Bolton,  (b) Blackburn and  (c) St Helens HM Revenue and Customs office will now remain open.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC took a range of issues into consideration before recommendations for all its offices in the north west urban centres, including those in Chorley, Bolton, Blackburn and St. Helens, were put to me for a decision. These included responses from staff, unions and other key stakeholders; analysis of staff travel; estimated estates savings; and any socio-economic impacts.
	During the period of feasibility work following the consultation exercise, HMRC business units revisited their plans for delivering their long-term operations and decided they could operate more effectively by consolidating elsewhere. Detailed feasibility work also showed that staff from Chorley could be accommodated elsewhere with larger teams.

Revenue and Customs: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will meet staff at Chorley HM Revenue and Customs office to discuss the decision to close the office.

Jane Kennedy: The decision to withdraw from the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office at Lingmell House, Chorley, was announced to staff on 29 February 2008.
	As the Minister responsible for HMRC I have already visited a number of HMRC offices, and will continue to do so. However, there are no current plans to visit the Chorley office at this time.

Revenue and Customs: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects on residents of Chorley of the closure of Chorley HM Revenue and Customs office;
	(2)  what account was taken of current and future population growth in Chorley in the decision to close the Chorley HM Revenue and Customs office.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC takes into account a range of issues during consultation before recommendations are put to Ministers, including socio-economic impacts. No specific account has been taken of current and future population growth in Chorley. The effects on residents of Chorley of the proposal to vacate the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in the town will be minimal.
	Very little of the work currently carried out in local HMRC offices actually relates to the communities in which those offices are located, as most of HMRC's business is arranged on national lines. Although a decision has been taken to vacate the HMRC office in Chorley, its inquiry centre services will remain at the same location or nearby. HMRC customers will therefore still have access to face-to-face services should they need them.

Revenue and Customs: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the performance of the HM Revenue and Customs office in Chorley against its objectives.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC's) workforce change programme is designed to modernise HMRC's operations by restructuring its office accommodation in line with future business needs. The primary reason any office is proposed for closure is that the business units based there can operate more effectively by consolidating elsewhere. This is not a reflection on the current performance of staff in the offices affected.

Revenue and Customs: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the decision to close the HM Revenue and Customs office in Chorley was announced on a later date than decisions to close other tax offices.

Jane Kennedy: The decision to withdraw from the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office at Lingmell House, Chorley was announced on 29 February 2008; the same time as the decisions for the other HMRC offices in the North West urban centre review.

Revenue and Customs: North West

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will allocate some of the tax credits work due to be undertaken at St. Helens HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office to Chorley HMRC office.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs has no plans to move tax credits work to its office in Chorley.

Revenue and Customs: North West

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what account was taken of the fact that HM Revenue and Customs office in Chorley is in a purpose built building in deciding whether to close the office;
	(2)  what account was taken of standards of accommodation in Blackburn HM Revenue and Customs office in deciding whether to keep the office open.

Jane Kennedy: Estates issues including the cost of buildings and their capacity for being adapted to accommodate additional staff are among a number of factors which HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) considers when recommending offices for retention or closure to meet its overall objective of retaining the offices that best meet its future business needs. HMRC's strategic estates partner Mapeley is required to ensure that all HMRC accommodation meets prescribed standards.

Revenue and Customs: North West

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs are expected to be lost if planned closures to HM Revenue and Customs offices take place in  (a) Chorley and  (b) the North West; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The decision to withdraw from the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office at Lingmell House, Chorley will result in the 77 staff at that office relocating to other offices within the North West urban centre. A small number of staff will be required to provide enquiry centre services which will remain in Chorley.
	At 1 April 2008 HMRC had a staffing headcount of 14,746 across the North West as a whole. By 31 March 2011 the present estimate for staff required in the region is 14,050. This is based on the latest business planning projections and may be subject to change.

Revenue and Customs: Crewe

Edward Timpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs are expected to be lost if planned closures of HM Revenue and Customs offices take place in  (a) Crewe and  (b) the North West; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Crewe is being reviewed as a cluster with Macclesfield and Northwich. No decision has yet been taken to retain or vacate any of these offices.
	The eventual reduction in staff numbers in the cluster will depend upon the outcome of the review. Inquiry centre services will however be maintained in the locality. In the longer run HMRC aims to deliver better value to the taxpayer by operating more effectively with fewer staff.
	At 1 April 2008 HMRC had a staff headcount of 14,746 across the North West as a whole. By 31 March 2011 the present estimate for staff required in the region is 14,050. This is based on the latest business planning projections and may be subject to change.

Revenue and Customs: Crewe

Edward Timpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the HM Revenue and Customs office in Crewe was  (a) originally earmarked to remain open and  (b) subsequently scheduled for closure.

Jane Kennedy: Proposals for the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Crewe, which for review purposes has been grouped with Macclesfield and Northwich, have only recently been announced under HMRC's regional review programme.
	These proposals, published for consultation on 11 June, envisage withdrawal from Crewe but final decisions have not yet been taken. Whatever the outcome of the review, an inquiry centre service offering face to face advice to HMRC customers will remain in Crewe.

Revenue and Customs: Resignations

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary exit schemes at HM Revenue and Customs offices in Southend-on-Sea, for staff at each grade in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: No staff have left HMRC in Southend on involuntary exit schemes. HMRC are committed to avoiding redundancies wherever possible and to helping staff find alternative posts either within the Department or elsewhere.
	Three voluntary exit schemes are currently available for all HMRC staff.
	Approved Early Retirement (AER) is for permanent staff age 50 to 60 with at least five years qualifying service and offers immediate access to accrued pension benefits without actuarial reductions, but without any enhancement.
	Flexible Early Severance (FES) is for permanent staff age under 50 with at least one year qualifying service, or for those age 50 to 60 with between one and five years qualifying service. The benefits payable vary according to length of service
	Public Sector Release Scheme (PSRS), is for permanent members of staff with at least one year service and satisfactory completion of their probation period. Staff who leave on this scheme enter into a period of training that leads to a professional qualification required for employment in a role within the wider public sector in, for example, medical professions in the NHS. Eligible staff receive a one off lump sum payment and financial support for their first year's training costs.
	The statistics for staff in Southend who have left HMRC under any of these schemes are set out in the following tables. Figures are available only for the periods 2005-06 onwards for AER, 2006-07 onwards for PSRS and 2008-09 for FES. There will be further exits in 2008-09 across HMRC but it is not possible to say how much will be spent on exits from Southend.
	 Exits on Approved Early Retirement schemes
	
		
			   Grade  Total at each Grade  Costs per Grade/Year () 
			 2005/06 AA 1 1,905.44 
			  AO 3 59,514.52 
			  O 5 126,363.43 
			  HO 9 674,268.58 
			  SO 20 1,784,736.02 
			  Grade 6/7 4 347,830.19 
			 Total  42 2,994,618.20 
			 
			 2006/07 AO 6 160,817.27 
			  HO 3 178,287.02 
			  SO 3 202,620.12 
			  Grade 6 2 257,029.31 
			 Total  14 798,753.73 
			 
			 2007/08 AO 1 51,874.75 
			  HO 2 37,499.51 
			  Grade 7 1 56,502.17 
			  Grade 6 1 51,127.48 
			 Total  5 197,003.90 
			 
			 Grand Total  61 3,990,375.83 
		
	
	 Exits on the Flexible Early Severance scheme
	A FES scheme was not available for staff in Southend in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. The current scheme was made available in April 2008 and to date there have been no departures of staff in Southend.
	 Exits on the Public Sector Release Scheme
	PSRS is a new scheme that has only been available since November 2006. There has been only one departure as follows:
	
		
			   Grade  Total  Cost () 
			 2006/07 Administrative Assistant 1 9,211.33 
			 Total  1 9,211.33 
			 
			 2007/08  0 0.00 
			 Total  0 0.00

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what reports were commissioned by Ministers to determine the effects of the abolition of the 10 pence tax rate on low earners;
	(2)  whether any external consultants were employed to determine the effects of the abolition of the 10 pence tax rate on low earners.

Jane Kennedy: As the Chancellor made clear to the Treasury Committee on 4 June, the distributional effects are considered when changes to taxation are made. No reports were commissioned or external consultants employed.

Melli Bank Plc

William Hague: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the EU's decision to proscribe the Iranian bank Melli on the operations of Melli Bank Plc in the UK.

Kitty Ussher: The impact is detailed in a notice on HM Treasury's website, 'Financial sanctions: Supplement to Notice on Iran of 24 June 2008Bank Melli Iran and Melli Bank plc'. This is publicly available on the financial sanctions pages at:
	http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk./documents/financial_services/sanctions/currentregimes/fin_sanctions_iran.cfm#nr

Taxation: Self-assessment

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the cost of an enquiry into self assessment tax returns HM Revenue and Customs will pay, with particular reference to those which show no irregularities; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 1 July 2008
	 As a general rule, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not pay or reimburse the costs that a person incurs in meeting their taxation obligations; this includes costs of complying with an enquiry into a return.
	However, where HMRC mistakes or unreasonable delay have added to those costs unnecessarily, the Department will consider the matter under its ex gratia redress policy and reimburse reasonable amounts that have arisen directly from its mistakes or unreasonable delay. HMRC makes every effort to keep down its customers' compliance costs and to limit enquiries and requests for information to what is strictly necessary. It is an undertaking to customers stated in HMRC's codes of practice and other publications. There are no set amounts or percentages available as decisions are made on a case by case basis.

Welfare Tax Credits

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of tax credits in reducing the number of children in poverty.

Jane Kennedy: Tax credits play a key role in making work pay and reducing poverty, and have helped to lift 600,000 children out of relative poverty since 1998-99.

Welfare Tax Credits: Complaints

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints his Department has received on the tax credit system from residents in Tamworth constituency in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available at constituency level.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many schedules to repay tax credits overpayments where the last repayment date falls  (a) before 2010,  (b) from 2010 to 2014,  (c) from 2015 to 2019,  (d) from 2020 to 2024 and  (e) in 2025 or later have been issued by his Department in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available centrally.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Pupil Exclusions

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils have been permanently excluded from each academy school since their inception; what assessment he has made of how this figure compares with  (a) all secondary schools,  (b) maintained secondary schools and  (c) denominational secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The number of permanent exclusions from each academy, the number of permanent exclusions from state funded secondary schools and the number of permanent exclusions from local authority maintained secondary schools in each year since 2002-03 to 2005-06 are provided in the table. Local authority level exclusions data relating to the 2006-07 school year are expected to be available from 10 July 2008. Further analysis of the trends in exclusions from academies will also be available from 10 July.
	Information on the number of exclusions from denominational schools could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	As a group, academies have an overall pattern of exclusions that is almost identical to the pattern for a control group of similar schools.
	Academies often inherit a large number of disengaged pupils and need to establish good behaviour in order to raise attainment. Academies place great emphasis on getting the basics right and improving behaviour in particular. As the new ethos and behaviour policy are implemented in an academy's early days, the number of exclusions may rise, but it typically falls as behaviour improves. This phenomenon is not unique to academiesthe same effect is often observed when a new head teacher transforms a struggling maintained school.
	A paper illustrating the pattern of exclusions and comparing exclusions in academies with a control group of schools with similar characteristics has been placed in the House Library. The chart included in this paper shows the overall distribution of exclusions in academies and a group of control schools.

Adult Education: Islington

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much the Learning and Skills Council spent on non-vocational adult education in the London borough of Islington in each of the last five years; and what expenditure is planned for 2008-09.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that learning serves the needs of the whole community and that everyone has the opportunity to improve their skills, prospects and quality of life. Non-vocational adult education courses offer a wide range of social and economic benefits for adults of all ages and backgrounds. We know that they help individuals to progress into qualification-bearing courses and have well-documented benefits in terms of personal health and well-being. Our recent consultation on informal adult learning is a measure of our commitment to this kind of learning and our intention to create a new vision of informal adult learning for the 21st century.
	The exact makeup and distribution of learning provision at local level are operational matters for local Learning and Skills Councils and their partners in colleges and other providers, according to their assessment of local needs and priorities. Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive will write to the hon. Gentleman with more detailed information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Children: Day Care

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department provided to each London local authority to support the provision of child care since 1996-97.

Beverley Hughes: Grant allocations for Sure Start, early years and child care in respect of the London local authorities are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Sure start, early years and child  care grant allocations for London authorities 
			   Revenue 
			  LA  1998-99  1999- 20 00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Barking and Dagenham 59,000 168,600 836,940 1,283,492 1,210,202 1,268,152 4,739,322 
			 Barnet 78,000 272,800 511,622 1,264,180 1,222,273 1,092,598 2,699,355 
			 Bexley 66,000 185,000 604,950 1,124,084 1,025,045 827,236 2,446,708 
			 Brent 71,000 262,200 897,482 1,469,711 1,369,602 1,189,350 4,774,918 
			 Bromley 72,000 229,100 540,681 1,219,523 1,085,873 1,315,599 2,533,178 
			 Camden 57,000 174,900 700,073 1,163,522 1,068,959 940,521 5,524,350 
			 City of London 10,000 35,000 50,500 233,620 209,267 243,400 222,193 
			 Croydon 82,000 327,000 809,255 1,542,754 1,459,485 1,462,948 3,219,008 
			 Ealing 77,000 292,000 912,085 1,591,728 1,526,412 1,569,502 4,421,036 
			 Enfield 72,000 249,900 871,660 1,496,044 1,431,150 1,216,806 3,480,583 
			 Greenwich 0 271,800 1,044,999 1,659,891 1,567,666 1,299,565 6,765,630 
			 Hackney 66,000 313,800 1,206,684 1,783,046 1,643,406 2,153,667 9,023,808 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 53,000 153,900 560,041 997,079 920,864 1,031,910 3,920,967 
			 Haringey 65,000 257,000 1,019,902 1,583,432 1,440,329 1,626,421 7,052,957 
			 Harrow 64,000 169,500 248,100 729,111 650,226 676,273 1,261,427 
			 Havering 65,000 176,200 549,703 1,025,175 946,605 868,011 2,250,576 
			 Hillingdon 69,000 199,200 395,385 979,833 805,039 1,009,627 2,496,147 
			 Hounslow 64,000 201,700 609,986 1,101,175 961,194 926,776 2,403,421 
			 Islington 59,000 226,600 921,271 1,411,287 1,324,991 1,121,457 7,142,179 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 51,000 144,500 521,253 914,733 813,286 824,500 2,716,202 
			 Kingston upon Thames 53,000 97,600 149,412 589,486 554,183 575,160 965,844 
			 Lambeth 73,000 344,900 1,204,837 1,851,325 1,668,863 2,252,611 7,872,175 
			 Lewisham 70,000 293,800 1,057,774 1,679,765 1,527,117 2,694,601 7,047,113 
			 Merton 58,000 160,100 323,842 744,805 706,984 681,230 1,755,182 
			 Newham 77,000 353,000 1,003,925 2,125,283 2,002,759 2,141,963 10,839,968 
			 Redbridge 67,000 205,100 664,229 1,213,141 1,164,373 1,424,516 2,818,191 
			 Richmond upon Thames 56,000 129,800 192,980 649,487 588,573 584,612 1,066,581 
			 Southwark 57,000 323,800 1,210,691 1,846,372 1,663,763 1,817,293 8,890,728 
			 Sutton 173,000 138,600 400,719 932,521 875,628 828,766 2,235,983 
			 Tower Hamlets 49,000 329,600 1,183,969 1,794,065 1,645,855 1,700,402 8,171,927 
			 Waltham Forest 73,000 255,200 966,228 1,543,351 1,357,640 1,460,095 5,758,726 
			 Wandsworth 68,000 243,300 551,626 1,118,233 1,032,520 1,093,862 3,358,001 
			 Westminster 55,000 172,000 592,607 1,106,747 1,047,053 803,398 4,025,831 
		
	
	
		
			  LA  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,739,322 6,853,034 7,026,368 7,851,783 8,501,064 9,663,262 
			 Barnet 2,699,355 4,727,121 5,432,510 6,604,850 7,669,198 9,598,739 
			 Bexley 2,446,708 3,537,109 3,841,811 4,223,530 4,567,932 5,750,602 
			 Brent 4,774,918 6,273,555 6,360,938 7,815,665 8,758,433 10,482,782 
			 Bromley 2,533,178 4,376,000 4,978,027 5,472,235 6,052,911 7,786,538 
			 Camden 5,524,350 6,903,217 6,593,710 7,826,739 8,197,418 9,080,889 
			 City of London 222,193 313,645 312,266 346,232 390,940 442,848 
			 Croydon 3,219,008 5,736,067 6,496,982 7,552,540 8,689,036 10,917,788 
			 Ealing 4,421,036 6,463,225 6,848,968 8,306,902 9,360,067 11,410,654 
			 Enfield 3,480,583 5,670,343 5,856,014 7,071,775 8,193,127 10,509,101 
			 Greenwich 6,765,630 8,386,826 10,143,227 10,110,100 10,636,671 12,283,793 
			 Hackney 9,023,808 11,424,597 10,844,689 12,961,630 13,596,477 15,376,070 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,920,967 4,439,018 4,361,429 5,496,250 5,985,868 7,039,866 
			 Haringey 7,052,957 8,706,957 13,117,248 9,996,609 10,441,542 12,022,926 
			 Harrow 1,261,427 2,302,098 2,782,696 3,259,217 3,896,420 5,142,926 
			 Havering 2,250,576 3,213,761 3,582,724 3,938,122 4,116,838 5,310,398 
			 Hillingdon 2,496,147 3,756,797 4,291,860 5,043,935 5,643,260 7,199,697 
			 Hounslow 2,403,421 4,348,780 4,603,995 5,765,608 6,726,935 8,298,283 
			 Islington 7,142,179 8,759,311 8,360,641 9,192,701 9,524,865 10,581,209 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,716,202 3,397,403 3,420,420 3,759,615 3,928,669 4,465,629 
			 Kingston upon Thames 965,844 1,648,282 1,966,468 2,161,066 2,472,041 3,199,201 
			 Lambeth 7,872,175 10,460,473 10,354,753 12,559,734 13,451,900 15,388,906 
			 Lewisham 7,047,113 9,270,655 9,434,229 11,025,576 11,879,818 13,733,257 
			 Merton 1,755,182 2,957,643 3,329,766 3,826,144 4,325,617 5,338,762 
			 Newham 10,839,968 13,991,798 14,702,026 15,271,475 15,819,938 17,363,236 
			 Redbridge 2,818,191 4,111,740 4,439,572 4,881,044 5,516,824 6,948,961 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,066,581 2,045,522 2,473,943 2,718,529 3,118,172 4,066,527 
			 Southwark 8,890,728 11,195,722 10,947,714 12,719,821 13,331,237 14,734,429 
			 Sutton 2,235,983 3,039,670 3,302,278 3,793,632 4,259,394 5,481,054 
			 Tower Hamlets 8,171,927 10,550,168 10,981,011 13,298,883 13,831,352 15,281,799 
			 Waltham Forest 5,758,726 7,596,672 7,905,485 9,122,443 9,885,865 11,429,211 
			 Wandsworth 3,358,001 5,142,754 5,434,000 6,854,732 7,930,596 9,693,985 
			 Westminster 4,025,831 4,751,317 4,660,494 5,924,537 6,405,481 7,331,630 
		
	
	
		
			   Capital 
			   1998-99  1999- 20 00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 0 0 0 118,720 446,154 1,522,376 
			 Barnet 0 0 0 0 148,791 24,516 158,583 
			 Bexley 0 0 0 0 92,806 12,540 593,961 
			 Brent 0 0 0 0 135,773 313,817 1,213,829 
			 Bromley 0 0 0 0 125,087 64,557 336,816 
			 Camden 0 0 0 0 91,202 25,761 1,016,319 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 155,459 19,411 1,110 
			 Croydon 0 0 0 0 157,558 23,370 654,862 
			 Ealing 0 0 0 0 146,763 31,743 1,171,447 
			 Enfield 0 0 0 0 135,650 234,606 1,389,448 
			 Greenwich 0 0 0 0 126,551 277,714 1,833,092 
			 Hackney 0 0 0 0 446,927 253,079 2,860,368 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 0 0 0 82,373 21,387 527,391 
			 Haringey 0 0 0 0 136,178 420,788 1,790,407 
			 Harrow 0 0 0 0 95,021 30,951 31,080 
			 Havering 0 0 0 0 85,718 352,491 361,067 
			 Hillingdon 0 0 0 0 135,115 14,820 159,360 
			 Hounslow 0 0 0 0 105,561 19,338 532,428 
			 Islington 0 0 0 0 410,787 35,178 1,616,789 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0 0 0 71,558 148,428 605,999 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0 0 0 0 113,375 22,443 33,911 
			 Lambeth 0 0 0 0 162,471 182,802 2,288,227 
			 Lewisham 0 0 0 0 122,556 424,904 1,862,379 
			 Merton 0 0 0 0 86,832 183,996 148,939 
			 Newham 0 0 0 0 279,316 351,088 3,231,715 
			 Redbridge 0 0 0 0 105,119 53,163 640,568 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0 0 0 0 83,267 9,975 30,248 
			 Southwark 0 0 0 0 158,010 674,573 2,244,576 
			 Sutton 0 0 0 0 76,304 69,690 326,966 
			 Tower Hamlets 0 0 0 0 443,556 299,054 2,289,536 
			 Waltham Forest 0 0 0 0 125,282 358,274 1,989,588 
			 Wandsworth 0 0 0 0 125,910 255,404 253,525 
			 Westminster 0 0 0 0 84,433 409,383 605,262 
		
	
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11  Sure Start local programmes capital 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,522,376 2,817,155 2,566,045 1,245,431 1,512,281 1,321,120 3,931,000 
			 Barnet 158,583 2,337,313 4,278,485 2,342,190 3,199,744 2,520,657 800,000 
			 Bexley 593,961 1,470,442 2,291,376 1,345,967 1,823,419 1,449,135 869,859 
			 Brent 1,213,829 1,380,009 2,801,837 2,139,111 2,905,847 2,299,540 3,977,413 
			 Bromley 336,816 2,174,633 3,425,874 1,962,801 2,617,506 2,104,092 1,075,000 
			 Camden 1,016,319 3,258,862 3,136,594 1,788,446 1,276,658 1,281,329 5,335,699 
			 City of London 1,110 54,895 111,453 38,570 38,570 43,192 0 
			 Croydon 654,862 3,274,282 5,524,767 2,269,688 2,881,347 2,416,116 1,069,687 
			 Ealing 1,171,447 2,413,004 4,038,282 2,673,888 2,959,361 2,390,322 2,150,000 
			 Enfield 1,389,448 2,920,211 3,544,969 2,243,242 3,003,236 2,406,463 623,183 
			 Greenwich 1,833,092 4,254,754 2,889,676 1,766,472 2,169,123 1,873,602 3,753,745 
			 Hackney 2,860,368 6,882,065 3,950,382 3,018,854 1,787,368 1,794,478 7,141,093 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 527,391 1,856,725 2,391,915 1,189,614 1,487,436 1,263,054 2,314,153 
			 Haringey 1,790,407 4,216,774 3,471,624 1,699,691 2,079,013 1,800,582 5,495,244 
			 Harrow 31,080 887,057 1,800,994 1,562,049 2,209,019 1,689,184 0 
			 Havering 361,067 1,942,697 2,001,165 1,289,607 1,706,483 1,381,722 358,511 
			 Hillingdon 159,360 1,796,002 3,646,429 1,776,579 2,444,030 1,915,610 1,178,583 
			 Hounslow 532,428 2,242,207 3,658,837 1,653,639 2,195,193 1,772,577 1,074,454 
			 Islington 1,616,789 3,549,535 2,641,835 1,057,496 1,092,839 1,097,225 5,897,520 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 605,999 1,101,771 1,452,564 836,919 860,026 862,893 1,776,721 
			 Kingston upon Thames 33,911 642,478 1,304,424 969,895 1,356,565 1,048,690 0 
			 Lambeth 2,288,227 6,541,553 4,041,841 2,040,902 2,377,295 2,146,933 4,151,380 
			 Lewisham 1,862,379 4,730,022 3,422,966 1,904,223 2,297,103 2,014,530 3,196,646 
			 Merton 148,939 1,083,598 2,200,031 1,317,944 1,786,500 1,417,809 1,075,000 
			 Newham 3,231,715 5,678,369 4,462,481 2,312,424 1,918,593 1,926,524 5,358,193 
			 Redbridge 640,568 1,590,310 2,614,848 1,904,044 2,634,157 2,052,906 1,189,290 
			 Richmond upon Thames 30,248 816,576 1,657,896 1,342,690 1,841,278 1,444,443 0 
			 Southwark 2,244,576 2,765,075 3,882,273 1,956,990 2,238,317 2,052,149 6,762,437 
			 Sutton 326,966 1,826,056 2,057,160 1,080,277 1,440,021 1,160,889 111,000 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,289,536 8,934,933 3,254,853 1,923,011 2,293,826 2,029,348 3,315,761 
			 Waltham Forest 1,989,588 2,420,674 3,233,961 1,757,991 2,236,673 1,874,317 3,660,203 
			 Wandsworth 253,525 1,895,690 3,848,824 2,342,805 3,190,233 2,516,992 2,190,676 
			 Westminster 605,262 1,728,773 2,435,902 1,315,867 1,645,442 1,393,752 2,527,499 
			  Notes: 1. The grant allocations exclude funding for the free entitlement for early learning for three and four-year-olds. 2. The allocations include the funding for integrated services such as children's centres and Sure Start Local Programmes. They also include funding for child care sufficiency and access and improving the outcomes and quality in early years settings. 3. Sure Start Local Programmes were awarded a lifetime capital allocation rather than specific amounts each year. This lifetime allocation has been shown separately. 4. Grant allocations for 2004-06 were for a two-year period. In the table, the totals have been divided equally between the two years.

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether parents may use the current free entitlement to 12.5 hours of nursery care at different providers.

Beverley Hughes: The entitlement to 12 and a half hours per week of free early learning can be accessed across a diverse range of high quality providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors. Parents may use their early learning entitlement at more than one provider.

Class Sizes: Romsey

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the pupil-teacher ratio in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools was in Romsey constituency in (i) January 1997, (ii) January 1998 and (iii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the pupil:teacher ratio in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Romsey constituency and England, January 1997, 1998 and 2007 the latest information available.
	
		
			  Pupil:teacher ratios( 1) in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools. Years: January 1997, 1998 and 2007. Coverage: Romsey constituency and England 
			   Primary  Secondary 
			  1997   
			 Romsey 23.2 16.4 
			 England 23.4 16.7 
			
			  1998   
			 Romsey 23.4 16.5 
			 England 23.7 16.9 
			
			  2007   
			 Romsey 21.7 17.2 
			 England 21.8 16.5 
			 (1) The within-school PTR is calculated by dividing the total FTE number of pupils on roll in schools by the total FTE number of qualified teachers regularly employed in schools.  Source: School Census

Communication Skills: Young Offenders

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department holds on the oral communication abilities of people in young offender institutions; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: While the Government have made no formal assessment of oral communication abilities, we are aware of research which estimates that 60 per cent. of young offenders have speech, language and communication needs. Young people admitted to the secure estate are assessed for their health and well-being and educational needs. A new reception health screen for young people has been developed by the Youth Justice Board. The new health screen contains a section looking specifically at disability and impairment, which contains a question designed to identify speech difficulties in young people entering custody. Young people in young offender institutions with special educational needs are supported by special educational needs co-ordinators and by learning support assistants.

Departmental Buildings

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how frequently his Department restates the asset values of its building estate.

Kevin Brennan: The Department restates the asset values of its building estate every year in its annual accounts.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2008,  Official Report, column 351W, on ministerial policy advisers, which former special advisers have  (a) received approval from and  (b) been refused permission by his Department or its predecessor to take up an outside appointment on leaving their post since May 2005.

Kevin Brennan: Personal information about the applications submitted by special advisers, and other Crown servants, is made public only in accordance with the principles and practices followed in the operation of the Business Appointment Rules. This information, which includes details of the appointments of the most senior staff and statistical data about cases at the more junior levels, is published on the website of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments:
	www.acoba.gov.uk
	and in its reports.

Departmental Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will review salary negotiations for public sector employees in organisations within his Department's responsibility to reflect the rise in the consumer price index to a point above three per cent.

Kevin Brennan: The Government's pay policy is guided by the following principles. Public sector pay settlements should be consistent with maintaining the necessary levels of recruitment, retention and staff engagement needed to support service delivery; ensuring that total pay bills represent value for money and are affordable within Departments' overall expenditure plans; and consistent with the achievement of the inflation target. Timing of pay decisions for a particular workforce depends on pay-setting arrangements for that workforce.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its predecessor spent on  (a) new furnishings,  (b) art and  (c) new vehicles in each of the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: Spend by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and its predecessor Department, Department for Education and Skills, on new furnishings, art and new vehicles in the last three years is shown in the following table.
	Central Government Departments already actively seek to buy all wood and wood products (including furniture) from legal and sustainable sources. From April 2009, departments will be required to procure legal and sustainable timber or timber licensed under the EUs Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative. The Government also fund a Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) which provides free advice and guidance to help all public sector buyers and their suppliers meet the policy.
	The breakdown in respect of new furnishings, art and new vehicles is as follows:
	
		
			   Total new furnishings (desk, chairs, carpets, blinds and curtains) ()  Art ()  New vehicles 
			 2005-06 564,910 3,200 0 
			 2006-07 176,093 0 0 
			 2007-08 1,657,739 0 0

Departmental Vetting

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of successful applicants for jobs in his Department are subjected to a criminal records check; how many  (a) successful applicants and  (b) criminal records checks there were in each of the last 10 years; how many successful applicants were found to have a criminal record after a criminal records check took place in each of the last 10 years; whether the selection of successful candidates to be subjected to a criminal records check is random or targeted; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: My Department was formed as a result of Machinery of Government changes in June 2007 from its predecessor the Department for Education and Skills.
	All individuals recruited to either Department over the last ten years are subject to a basic criminal records check. As part of the application process individuals complete a self-declaration of their criminal records.
	In line with the HMG baseline personnel security standard the Department undertakes a full independent check of unspent criminal records for all successful applicants, who are not in a regulated post.
	The numbers, by year, of applicants who have been checked is not held centrally and is only available at disproportionate cost.
	In addition to the baseline security checks, the Department has completed Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for employees, since 2002 when they became a requirement. All individuals recruited to a regulated post, or to a post where they have access to personal or sensitive data about children or vulnerable adults, have been subject to, or are currently undergoing, targeted enhanced CRB check, as a matter of course.
	Since 2002, the Department has completed approximately 650 enhanced CRB checks for its employees. These checks were undertaken for existing staff who moved around within the Department to posts which required CRB checks and also for new appointees to the Department who were recruited into posts which required CRB checks.

Education: Assessments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects a decision on the national implementation of the Making Good Progress pilots to be made.

Jim Knight: The Government have already committed to the delivery of national one to one tuition for 300,000 pupils in English and 300,000 pupils in mathematics by 2010-11, with some funding available in the financial year 2009-10.
	School progression targets to improve the proportions of pupils making two levels of progress within a key stage were introduced in pilot schools in this academic year (2008/09), with national progression targets coming on stream for all schools from the academic year 2009/10.
	All other elements of the pilot, including the progression premium and single level tests, will be subject to evaluation of the pilot, and in the case of single-level tests, the endorsement of this approach from the Regulator, before any decision is made about whether to implement them on a national basis.

Education: Assessments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the performance of the Making Good Progress pilots in improving levels of children's literacy; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Making Good Progress pilot is a two year pilot in over 450 schools running from September 2007 until July 2009. It is being independently evaluated by PricewaterhouseCoopers and a final evaluation report is due in autumn 2009.
	As the pilot is still in its first year, it is still too early to make this kind of assessment. An interim evaluation report on the first year of the pilot will be published in the autumn term.

Further Education

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of 16 to 18 year olds were in full-time education or training in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Estimates of participation in education, training and employment in England for those aged 16-18 are published annually by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June (see following link).
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000792/index.shtml
	The Department publishes local estimates of participation in England alongside the national figures, but these are only available for young people of academic age 16 and 17. The local participation estimates cover those in full-time education, part-time education, and Work Based Learning, but do not identify young people in employer funded training and other education and training apart from those on a part-time education course. The most recent local estimates of education and Work Based Learning for local authorities relate to the end of 2006.

Performing Arts: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what representations he has received on increasing funding for performing arts in secondary schools in  (a) Bexley and  (b) London.

Jim Knight: No such representations have been made. Allocations for specific subjects are not generally made by Government when calculating schools funding and schools prioritise their spending according to the needs of their pupils. Last November we announced unprecedented funding of 332 million specifically for music to 2011including 82 million per year direct to local authorities ring-fenced for music education. We are also making 25 million available over three years for Find Your Talent pilots, which will explore how to provide opportunities for all children and young people to take part in cultural activities.

Pupils: Health

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children of school age have a long-term medical condition in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not held centrally.
	The Department currently collects information on the type of need for children with special educational needs (SEN) at School Action Plus and with a statement of SENsee table 9 of the SEN statistical first release published on 25 June 2008 and available at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000794/index.shtml
	However, a pupil whose medical condition does not give rise to a SEN will not be included in these figures.
	The Department is looking at how to collect information on pupils' disabilities in future but needs to balance the need for additional data with the burden that its collection places on schools. In the meantime, the Department has commissioned research on 'Disabled Children: Numbers, Characteristics and Local Service Provision'available at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/programmeofresearch/projectinformation.cfm?projectld=15219type=5resultspage=1
	which includes a discussion of the available sources of data on disabled children who may not have SEN.

Pupils: Intimidation

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of policies in place in schools to tackle bullying.

Kevin Brennan: The Department has recently gone out to tender for research into the effectiveness of our anti-bullying strategies. This research will provide the necessary quantative and qualitative data needed to draw robust conclusions about the efficacy of different anti-bullying strategies. The successful bidder will report their findings to the Department in summer 2009 and summer 2010.
	We commissioned an evaluation report from Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) into the work of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, one of the Department's key delivery partners in the field. PWC published their report in February 2007: it concluded that the ABA
	plays a crucial role in accessing and brokering the broad range of available deep expertise and in consensus building,
	and that their programme of work is
	broadly aligned to DfES stated policies and priorities.
	It recommended that the Department tendered for distinct elements of anti-bullying work to allow a greater range of providers into the system, maximise outputs and achieve greater value for money, and we have since done so.
	We have also carried out evaluations into individual initiatives for preventing and tackling bullying in schools including the Peer Mentoring and Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programmes: these showed positive evidence of their impact in tackling bullying. Schools using peer mentoring schemes reported substantial falls in aggressive behaviour with up to 85 per cent. of disputes solved in this way resulting in long-lasting agreements (Source: Don't Suffer in Silence, 2002).
	More generally the Department has built monitoring and evaluation arrangements into all of our contracts with the external bodies who are responsible for taking forward our anti-bullying programmes on the ground. We will monitor the situation closely to ensure each of these organisations achieve key outcomes and provide value for money.

Pupils: Leave

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidelines his Department issues to schools with regard to allowing study leave to pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department issued revised guidance in April 2008 advising head teachers, senior managers and teachers on the use of study leave. The guidance entitled Beyond Study Leave: A guide for school leaders and teachers was produced in collaboration with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) and can be accessed from the TeacherNet website at:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications

School Leaving: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of those taking up education, training and employment immediately upon leaving school in  (a) the London Borough of Bexley and  (b) Greater London in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: Estimates of participation in education, training and employment in England for those aged 16-18 are published annually by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June (see following link).
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000792/index.shtml
	The Department also publishes local estimates of participation in England alongside the national figures, but these are only available for young people of academic age 16 and 17. The local participation estimates cover those in full-time education, part-time education, and Work Based Learning. There is no information available on a comparable basis at the local authority level on the number of young people in employment.
	The most recent local estimates of education and Work Based Learning for local authorities relate to the end of 2006. The following tables show the rates and numbers of 16-year-olds participating in education and Work Based Learning in Bexley, Greater London and nationally in each year since 1997.
	
		
			  Participation in Education and Work Based Learning by 16-year-olds 1997  to  2006 
			  Percentage 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 (a)  2001 (b)  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  England
			 Full time education 70 70 72 71 71 71 72 72 74 76 78 
			 Work Based Learning 10 9 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 
			 Part time Education 7 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 
			 Total Education and WBL(c) 85 84 85 84 83 84 84 85 86 87 83 
			 
			  Greater London
			 Full time education 75 75 76 74 73 75 78 79 81 84 87 
			 Work Based Learning 4 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Part time Education 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 
			 Total Education and WBL(c) 83 84 84 82 81 82 86 86 88 90 93 
			 
			  Bexley
			 Full time education 71 72 72 71 68 69 70 76 76 79 80 
			 Work Based Learning 9 8 7 6 6 6 5 5 6 6 5 
			 Part time Education 6 4 3 3 3 3 4 5 3 3 3 
			 Total Education and WBL(c) 83 83 82 80 78 79 79 85 85 88 88 
		
	
	
		
			  Participation in Education and Work Based Learning by 16-year-olds 1997  to  2006 
			  Thousand 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 (a)  2001 (b)  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  England
			 Full time education 424.1 416.7 428.8 429.6 446.9 449.0 453.7 465.8 488.4 496.3 519.1 
			 Work Based Learning 58.4 53.5 50.7 50.6 46.0 46.0 43.7 46.0 47.1 41.9 37.8 
			 Part time Education 43.7 36.7 30.5 29.4 31.3 31.3 30.1 27.9 29.5 26.5 23.8 
			 Total Education and WBL(c) 512.4 497.8 506.8 506.5 521.4 523.5 527.4 539.7 565.0 564.8 580.7 
			 
			  Greater London
			 Full time education 60.2 59.7 60.5 61.1 63.6 64.8 65.9 68.6 71.7 72.7 75.3 
			 Work Based Learning 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.2 3.2 2.9 3.0 3.0 2.6 2.3 
			 Part time Education 3.9 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.0 2.8 
			 Total Education and WBL(c) 66.8 66.4 67.2 67.6 70.1 71.4 72.2 74.9 78.1 78.3 80.4 
			 
			  Bexley
			 Full time education 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 
			 Work Based Learning 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 
			 Part time Education 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Total Education and WBL(c) 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 
			 (a) and (b)For 2001 onwards, information for pupils in maintained schools, city technology colleges and academies is included by the pupil's residence, rather than the address of the school. The tables show the 2001 figures on both the (a) old school basis and (b) new residence basis. (c) Total of all full-time and part-time education and WBL, less WBL provision in education institutions.

Secondary Education: Colchester

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with Essex County Council on secondary school provision in Colchester constituency in the last month; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: My officials have not had any further discussions with Essex county council, on secondary school provision in Colchester since 22 May. In my response to the hon. Member's letter to the Secretary of State on 4 June, regarding Alderman Blaxill School and Thomas Lord Audley College, I stated that the local authority was looking at the practicalities of a federation of these two schools along with Stanway School, with the possibility of an overarching trust. As I understand it, there has been no change in this position since then. Ultimately, decisions on school organisation are for local authorities.

Secondary Education: Islington

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students in the London borough of Islington completed year 11 secondary education with  (a) five or more A*-C GCSEs,  (b) fewer than five GCSEs and  (c) no secondary education qualifications in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The information required is given as follows:
	
		
			  GCSE and equivalent attainment in Islington, London and England in 2003 - 07 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number gaining 5+ GCSEs at grades A*-C  Percentage gaining 5+ GCSEs A*-C 
			  2003
			 Islington 1,317 509 38.6 
			 London 70,809 35,889 50.7 
			 England 572,040 292,438 51.1 
			 
			  2004
			 Islington 1,411 649 46.0 
			 London 73,397 38,864 53.0 
			 England 590,096 307,046 52.0 
			 
			  2005
			 Islington 1,369 604 44.1 
			 London 72,921 40,296 55.3 
			 England 583,265 319,481 54.8 
			 
			  2006
			 Islington 1,468 680 46.3 
			 London 74,201 43,036 58.0 
			 England 593,061 339,289 57.2 
			 
			  2007
			 Islington 1,479 722 48.8 
			 London 74,395 45,024 60.5 
			 England 599,403 358,477 59.8 
		
	
	
		
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number gaining fewer than 5 GCSEs  Percentage gaining fewer than 5 GCSEs 
			  2003
			 Islington 1,317 209 15.9 
			 London 70,809 7,347 10.4 
			 England 572,040 60,554 10.6 
			 
			  2004
			 Islington 1,411 214 15.2 
			 London 73,397 7,366 10.0 
			 England 590,096 61,060 10.3 
			 
			  2005
			 Islington 1,369 200 14.6 
			 London 72,921 6,930 9.5 
			 England 583,265 58,966 10.1 
			 
			  2006
			 Islington 1,468 209 14.2 
			 London 74,201 6,820 9.2 
			 England 593,061 57,335 9.7 
			 
			  2007
			 Islington 1,479 204 13.8 
			 London 74,395 6,285 8.4 
			 England 599,403 53,343 8.9 
		
	
	
		
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number achieving no GCSEs  Percentage achieving no GCSEs 
			  2003
			 Islington 1,317 67 5.1 
			 London 70,809 3,281 4.6 
			 England 572,040 28,718 5.0 
			 
			  2004
			 Islington 1,411 62 4.4 
			 London 73,397 2,674 3.6 
			 England 590,096 22,474 3.8 
			 
			  2005
			 Islington 1,369 60 4.4 
			 London 72,921 2,335 3.2 
			 England 583,265 20,180 3.5 
			 
			  2006
			 Islington 1,468 71 4.8 
			 London 74,201 2,183 2.9 
			 England 593,061 17,799 3.0 
			 
			  2007
			 Islington 1,479 62 4.2 
			 London 74,395 1,835 2.5 
			 England 599,403 15,419 2.6 
			 Notes: 1. Figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) in all maintained schools (including academies and CTCs). 2. Figures include equivalencies.

Student Loans Company: Manpower

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people are employed by the Student Loans Company in  (a) Colwyn Bay and  (b) Rhyl.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Student Loans Company has 29 staff at its office in Colwyn Bay. It does not have an office in Rhyl.

Truancy: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in secondary education in Staffordshire was classed as persistent absentees in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The first year for which information is available on persistent absentees is 2005/06.
	The available information is given in the table, and was published as part of the Statistical First Release: Pupil Absence in Schools in England, including Pupil Characteristics, 2006/07 at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000775/index.shtml
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools( 1) : Rates of overall absence and persistent absentees 2005/06 and 2006/07By local authority area and Government office region in England 
			   Percentage of persistent absentees( 2) 
			   2005/06  2006/07  Percentage point change 
			 Staffordshire local authority area 5.3 5.0 -0.3 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. Excludes city technology colleges and academies. (2) Number of persistent absentees expressed as a percentage of the total number of enrolments. Persistent absentees are defined as missing more than 20 per cent. of possible sessions (includes authorised and unauthorised absence from school).  Source: School Census

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Departmental Assets

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills over what period his Department depreciates the asset value of its  (a) vehicles,  (b) computer hardware,  (c) bespoke computer software,  (d) standard computer software,  (e) furniture and  (f) telecommunications equipment.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was established under Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. The Accounting Policies for the Department for 2007-08 have been merged from the pre-existing Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Trade and Industry Accounting Policies. The Department's Resource Account's are currently being audited by the National Audit Office.
	The Department depreciates the aforementioned asset categories over the following periods:
	
		
			   Years 
			  (a) Vehicles 2 to 10 
			  (b) Computer hardware 3 to 10 
			  (c) Bespoke computer software 2 to 5 
			  (d) Standard computer software 2 to 5 
			  (e) Furniture 7 to 10 
			  (f) Telecommunications equipment 3 to 10 
		
	
	This information has been taken from the Department's Accounting policy note that will form part of the Resource Accounts. The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) issued by HM Treasury.

Departmental Buildings

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the value of the property held by  (a) his Department and  (b) associated public bodies was at the most recent date for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. Information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Buildings

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how frequently his Department restates the asset values of its building estate.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was established under Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. The Accounting Policies for the Department for 2007-08 have been merged from the pre-existing Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Trade and Industry Accounting Policies. The Department's Resource Accounts are currently being audited by the National Audit Office.
	The Department restates the value its building estate in accordance with the requirements of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors every five years at existing use value. Where appropriate, indices issued by the Office for National Statistics have been applied in intervening years. This information has been taken from the Department's accounting policy note which will form part of the resource accounts.

Departmental Conferences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the  (a) scheduled date and  (b) title was of each conference proposed to be hosted by his Department and its agencies which was cancelled before taking place in each of the last 10 years; and what costs were incurred in respect of each.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was established under Machinery of Government changes in June 2007. The Department does not hold records at this level of detail, to answer the question would be at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expert Groups

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what expert groups his Department has set up since it was established.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was established in June 2007. Since that date it has set up The National Student Forum which was established in February 2008 and has met four times. The Forum is independently chaired by Maeve Sherlock and has 16 student members. The Forum will produce an annual report in the autumn, to which Ministers are committed to respond publicly.
	Details of formal, standing bodies set up by Government to provide independent, expert advice to Departments and Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These bodies, known as advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), are listed in the annual Public Bodies publication. Public Bodies also contains some details on short-term advisory groups and task forces. Copies of Public Bodies dating back to 1999 can be viewed and downloaded from:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies.asp.
	Copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Departmental Furniture

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) chairs,  (b) desks and  (c) other office furnishings have been purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; and at what cost in each case.

David Lammy: Since its creation in June 2007, DIUS has spent a total of 554,780 on office furniture. Further detail, and information in respect of all of the Department's agencies, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Home Working

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many staff in his Department are authorised to work from home.

David Lammy: The information requested is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	I can however confirm that home working is available to all staff in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills as part of our flexible working policy.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department and its agencies spent on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08.

David Lammy: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was formed on 28 June 2007, following the machinery of Government changes. Since this date the Department has spent an estimated 33,556.75 on branding and design for signposts, graphic and stationery. Branding work on the website is expected to come to in the region of 60,000 for the financial year 2007-08. We are not expecting any additional rebranding costs.
	The Department has spent an estimated 1,777,776 on advertising, 115,130 on direct marketing and 612,770 on paper publications.
	The Department is responsible for two agencies, National Weights and Measures Laboratory and the UK Intellectual Property Office. National Weights and Measures Laboratory has spent 41,237.30 on marketing in 2007-08 and has not spent anything on branding activity. UK Intellectual Property Office has spent 72,000 in 2007-08 on marketing and nothing on branding.

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 393W, on departmental orders and regulations, if he will list the statutory instruments revoked by Ministers of his Department.

David Lammy: The 34 revoked statutory instruments, referred to in my answer of 22 May 2008 (not 2 June as stated in the question),  Official Report, column 393W, were as follows:
	Copyright and Performances (Application to Other Countries) Order 2006 (SI 2006/316)
	Copyright and Performances (Application to Other Countries) Order 2007 (SI 2007/273)
	Copyright (Certification of Licensing Scheme for Educational Recording of Broadcasts) (Educational Recording Agency Limited) Order 2005 (SI 2005/222)
	Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/1972)
	Education (Fees and Awards) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/2192)
	Education (Fees and Awards) (Amendment No 2) (England) Regulations 2000 (2000/2945)
	Education (QCA Levy) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/435)
	Education (QCA Levy) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/1331)
	Education (Student Fees and Support) (Switzerland) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/3280)
	Education (Fees and Awards) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/483)
	Education (Student Support) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/176)
	Patents Act 2004 (Commencement No 1 and Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Order 2004 (SI 2004/2177) (C.94)
	Patents Act 2004 (Commencement No 2 and Consequential, etc and Transitional Provisions) Order 2004 (SI 2004/3205) (C.140)
	Patents and Trade Marks (World Trade Organisation) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/1899)
	Patents Rules 1978 (SI 1978/216)
	Patents Rules 1995 (SI 1995/2093)
	Patents (Amendment) Rules 1999 (SI 1999/1092)
	Patents (Amendment) Rules 2001 (SI 2001/1412)
	Patents (Amendment) Rules 2002 (SI 2002/529)
	Patents (Amendment) Rules 2004 (SI 2004/2358)
	Patents (Amendment) Rules 2005 (SI 2005/2496)
	Patents (Amendment) Rules 2007 (SI 2007/677)
	Patents (Amendment) (No 2) Rules 1999 (SI 1999/3197)
	Patents (Convention Countries) Order 2006 (SI 2006/315)
	Patents (Electronic Communications) (Amendment) Rules 2003 (SI 2003/513)
	Patents (Fees) Rules 1998 (SI 1998/1778)
	Patents (Fees) (Amendments) Rules 1999 (SI 1999/1093)
	Patents (Supplementary Protection Certificates) Rules 1997 (S11997/64)
	Patents (Supplementary Protection Certificate for Medicinal Products) Regulations 1992 (SI 1992/3091)
	Patents (Supplementary Protection Certificate for Plant Protection Products) Regulations 1996 (S11996/3120)
	Patents, Trade Marks and Designs (Address for Service and Time Limits, etc) Rules 2006 (SI 2006/760)
	Patents (Translations) Rules 2005 (SI 2005/687)
	Student Fees (Amounts) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/2382)
	Student Fees (Qualifying Courses and Persons) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/482)

Departmental Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the average pay per hour worked by  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary staff in his Department in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by pay band.

David Lammy: Figures are detailed in the following tables:
	
		
			  National 
			   
			  Grade  Permanent hourly rate  Temporary hourly rate 
			 EAAO 7.52 6.99 
			 EO 9.68 8.88 
			 Grade 6 26.36 22.99 
			 Grade 7 20.68 19.00 
			 HEO 12.19 11.09 
			 SEO 15.15 13.60 
		
	
	
		
			  London 
			   
			  Grade  Permanent hourly rate  Temporary hourly rate 
			 EAAO(1) 9.22 8.64 
			 EO(1) 11.28 10.50 
			 Grade 6 27.60 25.62 
			 Grade 7 23.09 21.16 
			 HEO 13.75 12.83 
			 SEO 18.14 15.45 
			 (1) Reflects grades where temporary employees are in post.

Departmental Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will review salary negotiations for public sector employees in organisations within his Department's responsibility to reflect the rise in the consumer price index to a point above three per cent.

David Lammy: The Government's pay policy is guided by the following principles. Public sector pay settlements should be consistent with maintaining the necessary levels of recruitment, retention and staff engagement needed to support service delivery; ensuring that total pay bills represent value for money and are affordable within departments' overall expenditure plans; and consistent with the achievement of the inflation target. Timing of pay decisions for a particular workforce depends on pay-setting arrangements for that workforce.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost of overseas visits by each Minister in his Department has been since 1997.

David Lammy: Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis, a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2007/08 is currently being compiled and will be published before the summer recess. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.

Higher Education: Admissions

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students from Wirral West constituency entered  (a) Oxford and  (b) Cambridge University in the last five years; what steps his Department has taken in (i) Wirral and (ii) England to encourage more people from lower socio-economic groups to apply to these and other leading universities; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the table. Comparable figures for the 2007/08 academic year will be available in January 2009.
	
		
			  Entrants to undergraduate courses at the university of Oxford and the university of Cambridge( 1)  from Wirral West parliamentary constituency, academic years 2002/03 to 2006/07 
			  Academic year  University of Oxford  University of Cambridge 
			 2002/03 10 15 
			 2003/04 5 5 
			 2004/05 10 5 
			 2005/06 10 5 
			 2006/07 5 5 
			 (1) The university of Cambridge has taken the opportunity of a new student record system to review the recording of student data. The head of planning and resource allocation at the university of Cambridge should be consulted about significant variances when comparing data for 2004/05 and 2005/06 or using 2005/06 data where there are particular sensitivities. These sensitivities include postgraduate research and postgraduate taught totals; 'other postgraduate' and 'other undergraduate' totals; clinical medical FTEs; data relating to new entrants; and sources of financial support for postgraduates.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population basis and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record. 
		
	
	The Aimhigher programme helps to raise the aspirations of young people towards university. Aimhigher is a national programme which supports trips to universities, masterclasses, summer schools and similar activities. Greater Merseyside Aimhigher has strong links with the university of Liverpool and others that offer a high rate of return. For example, Magdelene college, Cambridge runs a roadshow in schools in Wirrall; university of Liverpool runs a summer school for year 10 pupils from across Wirrall; and Birkenhead sixth-form college runs activities with Fitzwilliam college, Cambridge. Greater Merseyside Aimhigher will be receiving nearly 13 million between 2008/09 and 2010/11.
	The National Programme for Gifted and Talented Education helps to raise attainment, especially for those underachieving as a consequence of disadvantage. The programme is designed to raise students' attainment and aspirations, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, so that more are well-placed to compete for places at universities with the highest rates of return. Each region, including the North-West, has an Excellence Huban HE-based partnership providing outreach opportunities that support this objective.

Higher Education: Student Wastage

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the drop out rate was for each  (a) higher education institution and  (b) higher education course taught in a further education institution in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: Student retention rates at higher education institutions in this country compare very well internationally. The UK ranks fifth in the OECD for first degree completion rates, out of 23 countries who report data in this area. A university education is now open to more students than ever before and the Government are totally committed to providing opportunities for all people to achieve their potential and to maximise their talent.
	While there has been a slight increase in non-completion for the 2005/06 academic year, the proportion is lower than for most years for which data are available and is much lower than in the late 1990s.
	This has been achieved and maintained during a period when the student population has increased and its diversity widened.
	The available information on the proportions of UK-domiciled starters to full-time first degree courses who are projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer to another institution, for each English HEI, along with their benchmarks, are shown in table 1.
	The figures in table 1 include higher education provided under a franchise in a further education institution; however these figures are not identified separately. Information is not available for higher education students registered at further education institutions (i.e. directly funded).
	
		
			  Table 1: Proportion of full-time first degree starters at English higher education institutions, who were projected to neither gain an award nor transfer to another institutionacademic year 2005/06 
			  Percentage 
			   Projected  Benchmark 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 21.7 20.0 
			 Aston University 7.9 11.6 
			 Bath Spa University 10.0 16.0 
			 The University of Bath 4.4 6.8 
			 University of Bedfordshire 20.6 18.4 
			 Birkbeck College   
			 Birmingham City University 19.8 17.5 
			 Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies 12.9 16.6 
			 The University of Birmingham 4.9 7.7 
			 Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln 6.6 12.2 
			 The University of Bolton 38.0 22.6 
			 The Arts Institute at Bournemouth 10.1 15.3 
			 Bournemouth University 13.1 15.5 
			 The University of Bradford 16.9 18.1 
			 The University of Brighton 13.0 14.9 
			 The University of Bristol 4.2 5.1 
			 Brunei University 11.6 15.8 
			 Buckinghamshire New University 14.2 17.7 
			 The University of Buckingham 0.0 22.8 
			 The University of Cambridge 0.9 4.5 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 15.6 15.8 
			 The University of Central Lancashire 22.5 18.3 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama 3.9 12.8 
			 University of Chester 15.2 15.3 
			 The University of Chichester 7.8 15.9 
			 The City University 14.7 15.9 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 5.8 15.0 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 6.8 5.6 
			 Coventry University 20.0 18.4 
			 The University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone, Rochester 10.9 15.8 
			 Cumbria Institute of the Arts 13.2 16.1 
			 Dartington College of Arts 11.1 15.7 
			 De Montfort University 14.4 15.5 
			 University of Derby 23.5 21.7 
			 University of Durham 2.5 6.1 
			 The University of East Anglia 13.5 9.9 
			 The University of East London 19.9 24.2 
			 Edge Hill University 18.4 16.8 
			 The University of Essex 12.1 13.3 
			 The University of Exeter 8.3 7.9 
			 University College Falmouth 11.9 15.3 
			 University of Gloucestershire 10.1 16.3 
			 Goldsmiths College 14.4 15.1 
			 The University of Greenwich 20.8 20.3 
			 Harper Adams University College 13.3 15.3 
			 University of Hertfordshire 15.7 17.9 
			 The University of Huddersfield 15.5 17.2 
			 The University of Hull 10.2 14.1 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 2.9 4.7 
			 Institute of Education   
			 The University of Keele 8.6 12.1 
			 The University of Kent 11.1 14.9 
			 King's College London 7.6 7.5 
			 Kingston University 16.4 19.0 
			 The University of Lancaster 6.7 8.5 
			 Leeds College of Music 0.0 8.4 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 15.8 16.4 
			 The University of Leeds 7.9 8.0 
			 Leeds Trinity and All Saints 16.9 15.7 
			 The University of Leicester 7.0 9.2 
			 The University of Lincoln 14.1 16.0 
			 Liverpool Hope University 25.6 18.1 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 21.1 16.4 
			 The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 10.4 15.5 
			 The University of Liverpool 8.1 9.7 
			 University of the Arts, London 14.1 13.2 
			 University of London (Institutes and activities) 3.3 7.1 
			 London Metropolitan University 21.6 22.6 
			 London South Bank University 27.3 22.3 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 3.4 5.3 
			 Loughborough University 5.5 10.8 
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University 20.1 18.6 
			 The University of Manchester 8.4 8.1 
			 Middlesex University 33.9 21.0 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 7.5 7.8 
			 Newman College of Higher Education 19.9 17.1 
			 The University of Northampton 17.1 17.4 
			 The University of Northumbria at Newcastle 17.8 15.2 
			 Norwich School of Art and Design 5.9 14.4 
			 The University of Nottingham 3.3 5.8 
			 The Nottingham Trent University 11.5 13.8 
			 Oxford Brookes University 13.1 14.0 
			 The University of Oxford 2.4 3.7 
			 University College Plymouth St. Mark and St. John 19.2 17.6 
			 The University of Plymouth 14.4 16.2 
			 The University of Portsmouth 13.0 16.3 
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College 11.5 11.6 
			 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication 8.4 17.6 
			 The University of Reading 6.7 9.6 
			 Roehampton University 21.2 16.4 
			 Rose Bruford College 14.8 14.5 
			 Royal Academy of Music 8.9 9.2 
			 Royal Agricultural College 10.9 18.0 
			 Royal College of Music 3.4 16.5 
			 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 7.1 9.4 
			 Royal Northern College of Music 12.0 16.6 
			 The Royal Veterinary College 6.1 3.2 
			 St. George's Hospital Medical School 6.4 7.6 
			 St. Martin's College 14.8 14.5 
			 St. Mary's University College, Twickenham 14.4 16.1 
			 The University of Salford 22.0 18.3 
			 The School of Oriental and African Studies 17.5 12.8 
			 The School of Pharmacy 3.4 8.2 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 14.5 15.8 
			 The University of Sheffield 7.0 7.2 
			 Southampton Solent University 21.2 20.4 
			 The University of Southampton 5.3 9.3 
			 Staffordshire University 21.2 18.3 
			 The University of Sunderland 19.9 16.6 
			 The University of Surrey 9.5 12.7 
			 The University of Sussex 9.9 11.2 
			 The University of Teesside 15.7 19.9 
			 Thames Valley University 28.9 22.4 
			 Trinity Laban 19.7 17.6 
			 University College London 8.0 7.3 
			 The University of Warwick 4.0 5.6 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 19.5 16.0 
			 The University of Westminster 19.6 19.8 
			 The University of Winchester 11.9 13.7 
			 The University of Wolverhampton 20.9 18.9 
			 The University of Worcester 15.5 16.2 
			 Writtle College 17.9 17.3 
			 York St. John University 10.7 14.1 
			 The University of York 4.1 6.4 
			  Notes: 1. The projected outcomes for a cohort are based on the assumption that their patterns of progression will follow those of students currently in the system. A student is assumed to have left with no award if they have been inactive for two years. 2. For each institution, the performance indicator is shown against a benchmark. This is a sector average which is adjusted for each institution to take into account the following factors: subject of study, qualifications on entry and age on entry. The benchmarks can be used to show how a university is performing compared to the sector as a whole, and also help to determine whether a meaningful comparison can be drawn between two or more universities. The benchmarks are not targets.  Source: Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Land Surveyors

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of qualified land surveyors in England;
	(2)  if he will publish a strategy to address national shortages of qualified land surveyors.

David Lammy: My Department does not collect or hold data on this subject. Part of the work of ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, is to assess the labour market needs of the construction sector and, through its sector skills agreement, identify ways in which skills needs and shortages can be met. I have therefore asked its chief executive to write directly to the hon. Gentleman about this issue.

Languages: Higher Education

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what courses in which 10 foreign languages were studied by the most students in universities in England in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many studied each.

Bill Rammell: In 2006/07 there were 46,100 enrolments on language courses at English HE institutions. The table shows enrolments in the most popular languages at all levels of HE. However, there are a further 9,150 enrolments classified as other European languages and 1,810 classified under other non-European languages.
	
		
			   2006/07 
			 French 10,255 
			 Spanish 7,700 
			 German 4,510 
			 Italian 2,900 
			 Russian and Eastern European Studies 1,910 
			 Modern Middle Eastern Studies 1,765 
			 Japanese 1,485 
			 Chinese 1,470 
			 Portuguese 530 
			 Scandinavian Studies 455 
			  Source:  HESA

Overseas Students: Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students from Israel have enrolled at universities in the UK in each year since 1997; and which subjects they have studied.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the tables. Figures for the 2007/08 academic year will be available in January 2009.
	A new classification for recording subject of study was introduced in 2002/03 and so figures from 2002/03 onwards are not comparable to earlier years.
	
		
			  Israel domiciled entrants( 1)  by subject of study, UK higher education institutions( 2) , academic years 1997/98 to 2001/02 
			   Academic year 
			  Subject of study  1997/98  1998/99  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02 
			 Medicine and Dentistry 0 5 10 10 5 
			 Subjects Allied to Medicine 15 20 20 15 10 
			 Biological Sciences 25 20 20 20 15 
			 Physical Sciences 5 5 5 5 0 
			 Computer Science 25 35 25 35 25 
			 Engineering and Technology 75 40 20 25 30 
			 Architecture, Building and Planning 85 55 40 50 35 
			 Social, Economic and Political Studies 30 45 35 40 40 
			 Law 135 170 55 50 40 
			 Business and Administrative Studies 90 90 70 50 60 
			 Librarianship and Information Science 10 15 10 10 10 
			 Languages 40 55 30 40 30 
			 Humanities 15 20 15 10 15 
			 Creative Arts and Design 45 40 35 55 60 
			 Education 185 215 320 355 220 
			 Combined/Invalid Code Supplied 35 55 20 15 15 
			 Total 815 890 735 795 615 
		
	
	
		
			  Israel domiciled entrants( 1)  by subject of study, UK higher education institutions( 2) , academic years 2002/03 to 2006/07 
			   Academic year 
			  Subject of study  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07 
			 Medicine and Dentistry 10 5 5 5 5 
			 Subjects Allied to Medicine 15 15 15 20 15 
			 Biological Sciences 25 30 20 10 20 
			 Physical Sciences 5 10 10 5 5 
			 Mathematical Sciences 0 5 5 5 0 
			 Computer Science 30 15 10 25 15 
			 Engineering and Technology 40 35 25 15 20 
			 Architecture, Building and Planning 20 20 5 5 5 
			 Social Studies 30 35 30 40 55 
			 Law 50 25 20 25 25 
			 Business and Administrative Studies 60 70 35 35 40 
			 Mass Communications and Documentation 20 15 10 15 10 
			 Languages 20 20 15 15 20 
			 Historical and Philosophical Studies 20 15 20 10 15 
			 Creative Arts and Design 50 60 55 30 40 
			 Education 80 50 40 25 25 
			 Combined 5 5 5 5 5 
			 Total 480 430 325 285 320 
			 (1) Figures cover full-time and part-time entrants to all levels of study. However, figures exclude those on writing up, sabbatical or dormant modes of study. (2) Figures exclude the Open university due to inconsistencies in their coding of subject data across the time series.  Note: Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December to maintain a consistent time series across all years and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

Skilled Workers: Recreation Spaces

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on the skills base of grounds professionals;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the future skills base of grounds professionals.

Bill Rammell: An assessment of the current and future skills base of grounds professionals has been undertaken by the Sector Skills Council Lantra (SSC for environmental and land-based industries), as part of their work to produce a Sector Skills Agreement for their sector as a whole. The chief executive of Lantra has written to the hon. Member about this matter and a copy of his response has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Peter Martin, dated 2 July 2008:
	I have been asked by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills to write to provide you with further information regarding the recruitment, training and development of people involved in the maintenance and management of sports grounds. Lantra is the Sector Skills Council with responsibility for determining of the skills needs of all those people working in the land-based and environmental sector - which of course includes these occupations.
	Based on the most recent research that Lantra has undertaken, we estimate that over 85,000 people are involved in the management and maintenance of sports turf and green space facilities within the UK. The majority are employed as grounds staff, gardeners and greenkeepers in both the private and public sectors. Especially within local authorities, there are instances though where these people will have an extended skills base and be involved in other aspects of park and green space management. The above statistics do not include those mainly or wholly involved in the management and maintenance of botanic and historic gardens.
	It is estimated that today there are around 122,500 acres in England put over to various types of sports use. The majority of sports grounds are under local authority control; for instance, 80% of football pitches, - some 40,000 in England - are maintained by local authorities.
	A large percentage of groundsmen and golf greenkeepers are trained to a minimum of a Level 2 qualification in the main N/SVQ in Sports Turf Maintenance or equivalent within the suite of qualifications for amenity horticulture. The percentage of qualified staff is highest with golf greenkeeping due to the financial support provided for training by the sport. Regretfully, lower levels of qualified staff are found in other major sports such as tennis, rugby, cricket, football, horseracing and hockey.
	There are a number of potential reasons for this lower investment:
	the lack of priority by some sports governing bodies to ensure training of grounds staff. Too frequently, there are no set minimum standards for individuals maintaining facilities
	the lack of money in clubs (especially at amateur level) to ensure high levels of grounds maintenance
	the dependence on volunteers in many clubs to maintain facilities
	the deleterious impact on training resulting from the previous policy within local authorities of Compulsory Competitive Tendering, and the challenge to restore a training culture within local authority parks, gardens and amenity horticulture departments
	limited access to funded training provision for those entering the profession as a second career
	the challenge also of aligning the funding criteria of Train to Gain with the needs of small amenity horticulture businesses in the private sector thus restricting ongoing skills development.
	Sports turf and green space facilities do, however, align with many of the government's agendas such as for health, reduction in obesity, participation in sport, active leisure and community involvement. Lantra therefore actively promotes the need for trained staff to maintain safe and sustainable surfaces as a high priority.
	In doing this, Lantra works closely with the employers and trade associations involved in the area of sports turf and green space employment, notably the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) and the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA). Both Institutes are particularly active in promoting higher investment in skills development as well as raising the profile of the sector as a whole. It is hoped that the 2012 Olympics and the theme of 'Greening the Games' will still further raise awareness of the sector. The Olympics sports legacy can only be sustained as long as there are sufficient people to maintain the grounds and ensure the safety of participants.
	Lantra is presently carrying out the following work to support skills development of grounds maintenance staff;
	a review and updating of the relevant apprenticeships is now underway
	green space management has been incorporated into the new 14-19 Diploma in environmental and land-based studies which is due to be launched in September 2009. Over 3,500 learner places have been created
	the development of 'bite-sized' learning within the new Qualification Credit Framework (QCF) should in future facilitate workforce development against industry determined standards
	with the Institutes and others, Lantra is promoting careers in this industry and particularly seeking to interest entrants from those parts of the community who have previously not been attracted to the industry.
	I trust that this provides the information that you were seeking.

Student Wastage

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students in each socio-economic group have left university without completing their course in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) age,  (b) sex and  (c) institution.

Bill Rammell: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) publishes non-continuation indicators, which show the proportion of entrants to full-time first degree courses not continuing in higher education after their first year. It is possible to break these down by National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC), age, gender and institution. However, it is not possible to provide breakdowns which combine NS-SEC with any of the other variables.
	Although published non-continuation figures for 2005/06 are currently available, breakdowns by gender and NS-SEC are only currently available up to the 2004/05 academic year. Figures for years earlier than 2002/03 are not available. Information on the actual number not continuing in HE has not been published.
	The proportion of young entrants to full-time first degree courses not continuing in HE after their first year by NS-SEC is shown in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Proportion of UK-domiciled young( 1)  entrants to full-time first degree courses not continuing in higher education after their first year by NS-SEC. UK higher education institutions. Academic years 2002/03 to 2004/05 
			   2002/03  2003/04  2004/05 
			 Groups 1-3 6.3 6.0 5.6 
			 Groups 4-7 8.1 8.2 7.6 
			 Unknown 10.6 12.5 11.8 
			 (1 )Young refers to entrants who are under 21 years of age.  Notes: 1. Non-continuation rates provide the percentage of students who enter a higher education institution in one academic year, who are no longer in a HEI in the following academic year and have not qualified.  2. Figures for years earlier than 2002/03 are not available.  Source:  Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). 
		
	
	The proportion of young and mature entrants to full-time first degree courses not continuing in HE after their first year by gender is shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: Proportion of UK-domiciled young and mature( 1)  entrants to full-time first degree courses not continuing in higher education after their first year by gender. UK higher education institutions. Academic years 2002/03 to 2004/05 
			   2002/03  2003/04  2004/05 
			   Young  Mature  Young  Mature  Young  Mature 
			 Female 6.8 13.1 6.7 13.3 6.5 12.5 
			 Male 8.9 18.1 8.8 18.4 8.0 16.9 
			 (1 )Young refers to entrants who are under 21 years of age, mature to entrants aged 21 years and over.  Notes:  1. Non-continuation rates provide the percentage of students who enter a higher education institution in one academic year, who are no longer in a HEI in the following academic year and have not qualified.  2. Figures for years earlier than 2002/03 are not currently available.  Source:  Higher Education Funding Council for England {HEFCE). 
		
	
	The proportion of young and mature entrants to full-time first degree courses not continuing in HE after their first year by institution is shown in table 3 which will be placed in the Library.
	Student retention rates in this country compare very well internationally. The UK rank 5th in the OECD for first degree completion rates, out of 23 countries who report data in this area. A university education is now open to more students than ever before and the Government are totally committed to providing opportunities for all people to achieve their potential and to maximise their talent.

Students: Debts

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the average debt per capita of students leaving university in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The 2004/05 Student Income and Expenditure Survey (SIES) estimated the average personal debt per studentstudent loan and commercial borrowing less savingsto be 7,918 at graduation for English full-time undergraduates. A consistent time series of this estimate is not available.
	Estimates for samples with differing characteristics are available from earlier surveys. These showed the average personal debt on graduation was: 3,462 in 1998/99 for UK full-time undergraduates; and 8,666 in 2002/03 for English and Welsh full-time undergraduates aged under 25.
	Student loans are very different from commercial loans. Repayment of income-contingent loans is linked to income after leaving university and borrowers are not required to repay if their income is below 15,000 per year. Interest is linked to the rate of inflation, so in real terms borrowers repay no more than they borrowed. Graduates who take out their first student loan in or after 2008/09, and enter into repayment in or after April 2012, will also be able to take a repayment holiday of up to five years.
	From the 2008/09 academic year, increased income thresholds for the maintenance grant, will help a wider range of students and their families. I expect that one third of students will be eligible for a full grant of 2,835 in 2008/09, and a further third will be eligible for a partial grant.

Students: Finance

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the annual cost of extending the entitlement to study for a first level 3 qualification to the whole population.

David Lammy: The Government provide significant support for learning at Level 3 for individuals of all ages. We are channelling substantial sums for skills through FE colleges and providers, as well as through Train to Gain, where employers will control the spending of over 1 billion on skills training by 2010-11.
	A key focus for Level 3 is on helping young adults to finish their education and to be able to take up opportunities in higher education or establish successful careers. In Work Skills (Cm 7415), published on 12 June, the Secretary of State announced the extension of the current entitlement for 19 to 25-year-olds studying a Level 3 in a college, to include those being trained at work. We expect this will benefit around 100,000 19 to 25-year-olds over the next three years. This will ensure that those young people who choose not to go to university are guaranteed support to continue their education and training.
	The Secretary of State also announced a pilot, as part of the Skills Account trials, to fund and support training for older adults, up to Level 3, who want to return to, or move on in work. It will be based in two regionsthe South East and East Midlands, backed by 15 million over the next three years, and expected to benefit around 20,000 adults.

Wood

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much timber and timber products were procured by his Department since its establishment; and at what cost.

David Lammy: Details of exactly how much timber and timber products were procured, and precise amounts of expenditure thereon could only be isolated from wider expenditure on office fixture, furniture and other items at disproportionate cost. However, I can confirm that all timber, including that in all of the timber based products procured for DIUS, originated from legal and sustainable sources.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Expert Groups

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what expert groups the Cabinet Office has set up in each year since 1999.

Tom Watson: Details of formal, standing bodies set up by Government to provide independent, expert advice to Departments and Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These bodies, known as advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), are listed in the annual Public Bodies publication. Public Bodies also contains some details on short term advisory groups and task forces. Copies of Public Bodies dating back to 1999 can be downloaded from:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies.asp
	and copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Departmental Press Subscriptions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how much was spent by his Department on subscriptions for magazines, newspapers and other publications in each of the last 24 months;
	(2)  how much was spent by the Prime Minister's Office on subscriptions for magazines, newspapers and other publications in each of the last 24 months.

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many copies of PR Week are purchased for the Prime Minister's Office each week; and at what cost.

Phil Hope: The Prime Minister's Office forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office. The Information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how long on average his Department took to answer  (a) ordinary written and  (b) named day questions in each of the last three years.

Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T.C. Davies) on 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1718W.

Tony Blair

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library the minutes of each of the meetings of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments since August 2007 at which matters relating to appointments of the right hon. Tony Blair were discussed.

Edward Miliband: This is a matter for the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. I have asked the Acting Chairman of the Committee, Sir John Blelloch, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House for the reference of Members.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Czech Republic: Lisbon Treaty

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Czech Government on its policy on the Lisbon Treaty.

Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made a statement to the House on 23 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 23-26 on the outcome of discussions on the Lisbon treaty among all Heads of State and Government at the June European Council.

Departmental Homeworking

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department are authorised to work from home.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office offers the right to request flexible working to all staff as a way to improve work/life balance, where operational and business constraints permit. Records of the number of staff working at home are not held centrally, as flexible working is arranged on a section by section basis with line management.

Departmental Information Officers

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2008,  Official Report, column 666W, on departmental information officers, what the pay band of the two press or communications officers appointed is; and whether they work  (a) directly or  (b) specifically for (i) the Foreign Secretary and (ii) another Minister in his Department.

Meg Munn: holding answer 30 June 2008
	The two press or communications officers do not work directly or specifically for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. One officer is employed in the senior management structure (senior civil service) and the other is employed as a higher executive officer (FCO Grade C4), in the applicable respective pay bands.

Departmental Sick Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much sick pay to staff in his Department cost in the last five years for which figures are available.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) pays its UK-based staff their normal rate of pay when they take short periods of absence for ill health. After accumulating a six months sick absence during any rolling period of twelve months, they are paid at 50 per cent. of their normal salary for up to a maximum of a further six months during any rolling period of four years or less.
	We have estimated the total amount of salary which the FCO paid to its UK civil servants during sickness absences in the calendar years 2005 to 2007. These figures are set out in the following table. We do not, unfortunately, hold data on sickness pay before 2005. These figures do not include sick pay to locally-engaged staff, details of which are not held centrally.
	
		
			  Calendar year  Total salary paid to staff on sick leave () 
			 2005 1,634,182 
			 2006 1,577,514 
			 2007 2,152,183

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on training courses for staff in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years.

Meg Munn: The Human Resources directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spent the following on training courses:
	9,478,424 in financial year 2006-07; and
	12,153,081 in financial year 2007-08.
	These figures include e-learning, language and other training courses. Policy and technical training courses provided by other FCO directorates, individual home Departments and overseas posts have not been included, as the collation of this information would incur disproportionate cost. Spend figures for previous years are also unavailable, except at disproportionate cost.
	FCO Services Human Resources department spent the following on training courses:
	2,505,412 in financial year 2006-07; and
	955,082 in financial year 2007-08.
	These figures include the cost of specialist, generalist and language training. They do not include any additional costs for e-learning, which is a single system across the FCO and has been costed in the FCO figures above. Spend figures for previous years are unavailable, except at disproportionate cost.

Diplomatic Service

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will put in place measures to ensure that when a UK Ambassador returns from their posting abroad other senior diplomatic staff in the same embassy are not relocated at the same time.

Meg Munn: Our ambassadors and other diplomatic staff at our embassies are appointed to their positions for agreed tour lengths. These vary according to the nature of the job and the demands of the country in which they are serving. Where two senior staff, for example an ambassador and a deputy head of mission, are due to leave a post at the same time, arrangements will normally be made for one or other of them to vary their departure date to ensure continuity. Each case will however be judged on its merits, taking into account the operational needs of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office world wide.

Iran: Iraq

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of Iranian funding of the Revolutionary Guard Qods Force in Iraq.

Jim Murphy: The Qods Force (QF) is a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and as such is an agency of the Iranian state. We assess that the IRGC and the IRGC-QF is involved in training, equipping and supplying Iraqi armed groups. Any Iranian support to armed groups operating outside the political process in Iraq is unacceptable. Both the Government and the sovereign Government of Iraq have made this clear to the Iranian authorities on many occasions.

Iraq: Christianity

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the situation of the Christian minority communities in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Like all sectors of Iraqi society, the Christian community has been affected by the unacceptable level of violence in Iraq which continues despite improvements in the overall security environment. Our diplomatic missions and my right hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Human Rights in Iraq, regularly raise with the Government of Iraq the need for adequate protection of all minority groups.
	Progress on national reconciliation is the fundamental requirement to create a sustainable and secure environment for all Iraqis and we continue to support the Government of Iraq in efforts to achieve that goal.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to Iran since January 2008 on using its influence to try to secure the release of the Israeli soldiers kidnapped by  (a) Hamas and  (b) Hezbollah in June and July 2006; what representations he has received since January 2008 about this issue; what response he gave; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK has not made any specific representations to the Iranian government on this issue. And while the fate of the three captured soldiers is a regular part of the UK's dialogue with a range of partners, including Israel, Egypt and the UN, we have not received any direct representations about this issue. However, we would encourage all who have influence to use that responsibly to ensure the safe release of these soldiers.
	We believe that the most effective way to achieve the release of the soldiers captured by Hezbollah is to support efforts by the UN to mediate between the parties as part of the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. We continue to support the efforts of the Governments of Israel, Egypt and others to negotiate the release of Gilad Shalit.

Middle East: Peacekeeping Operations

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon troops to prevent Hezbollah re-arming.

Jim Murphy: The deployment of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) under UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701 has been a success. There are now approximately 13,000 UN troops deployed as part of the enhanced UNIFIL contingent alongside a similar number from the Lebanese army. Since the expansion of the UNIFIL force following the passage of UNSCR 1701 in August 2006, the cessation of hostilities has largely been maintained and the area of operations has been largely stabilised. The UK fully supports UNIFIL, whose presence has been critical in maintaining peace and security in south Lebanon.
	We continue to work for the full implementation of UNSCR 1701. UNIFIL's presence has had an impact on Hezbollah's ability to rearm and operate south of the Litani river. Nevertheless, we continue to be concerned by reports by the UN Secretary-General that Hezbollah is rearming and smuggling arms across the Syria/Lebanon border.

Nuclear Disarmament

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the proposal by President Sarkozy for a nuclear disarmament action plan; and whether he plans to discuss this matter with his French counterpart.

Kim Howells: The Government welcomes the proposals made by President Sarkozy in his 21 March 2008 speech and expanded upon in France's White Paper on Defence and National Security, published 17 June 2008. UK officials are working closely with their French opposite numbers to explore how progress can be made on each element of the plan. The UK is currently pursuing a number of disarmament initiatives, which complement the French proposals.

Religious Freedom

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to promote religious tolerance in other countries in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We strongly support the right to freedom of religion or belief, including full implementation of those norms laid out in the 1981 UN Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. We condemn all instances of violence and discrimination against individuals and groups because of their faith or belief, wherever they happen or whatever the religion of the individual or group concerned. We have made representations in several countries bilaterally and in conjunction with EU partners. More detailed information is contained in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Annual Report on Human Rights that can be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/human-rights-report-2007.

Taliban

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions has he had with President Karzai of Afghanistan on pursuing Taliban insurgents in Pakistani territory.

Kim Howells: Afghanistan and Pakistan have a strategic interest in working together. We continue to encourage both governments to take forward their shared commitment to combat the Taliban and other insurgent groups who oppose both Afghanistan's peaceful reconstruction and the authorities on both sides of the border.

Zimbabwe: Political Prisoners

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the number of political detainees in Zimbabwe.

David Miliband: It is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of the total number of political detainees in Zimbabwe, with opposition supporters and activists being arrested and detained on the most tenuous grounds on a daily basis. Latest reports suggest that over 650 people were detained in the last week. In addition, since the first round of presidential elections on 29 March, international organisations have dealt with 34,000 displaced people and 2,700 injured by the ZANU-PF campaign of violence. The real numbers will likely be much higher. We have had confirmation of at least 84 opposition supporters murdered.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: Oil

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of global oil that will be consumed by  (a) Congo,  (b) Angola,  (c) Namibia and  (d) South Africa in the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The current (2007) consumption of fuel oil in South Africa is about 0.7 per cent. of global demand. Figures are not available for Congo, Angola and Namibia where consumption is much less and globally insignificant.
	The total demand of continental Africa, including South Africa, is approximately 3.5 per cent. of global oil demand.
	Future trends are uncertain, but Africa's overall share of the total is likely to remain much the same as at present over the next few years, though will gradually increase over time if it continues to achieve economic growth at above the world average rate.

Congo Basin Fund

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the Congo Basin Fund has been allocated for the manufacture of a satellite monitoring system by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory; and what organisation will operate the system once launched in 2010.

Gareth Thomas: Funds from the Congo Basin Forest Fund have not yet been allocated. However, the UK has allocated an additional 8 million to support start-up projects that have an immediate impact on the lives of people who live in the rainforest. One of the start-up projects includes allocation of funding of up to 1.14 million for a British-made high-resolution camera made by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and 1.5 million for the first ever satellite data receiver in Central Africa so that images can be easily accessed by the Governments and civil society in the region and help provide evidence against illegal loggers. Technical discussions are ongoing.

Departmental Buildings

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the value of the property held by  (a) his Department and  (b) associated public bodies was at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Shahid Malik: The only property owned by the Department for International Development (DFID) in the UK is our office in East Kilbride. This was last valued in April 2006, at 9,250,000. We also own property in a number of overseas countries, which are valued in total at 5,596,644.
	DFID has no other associated public bodies which own property.

Departmental ICT

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the value of his Department's computer systems  (a) was at the time of purchase and  (b) is now.

Shahid Malik: The requested information could not be gathered without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is compliant with the Financial Reporting Manual (FreM) when compiling its accounts.

Departmental Planning Permission

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) planning applications and  (b) licensing applications his Department has submitted in the last 24 months.

Shahid Malik: There have been no planning or licensing applications on behalf of the Department for International Development in the last 24 months.

Departmental Press Subscriptions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by his Department on subscriptions for magazines, newspapers and other publications in each of the last 24 months.

Shahid Malik: The following table gives details of centrally funded expenditure on newspapers and other regular publications. The figures include publications in both paper and electronic format, many of which are paid for on annual subscriptions. Some newspapers and regular publications are also funded from local budgets, including by DFID's county offices. Figures for local expenditure could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Month  Newspapers, magazines and other publications () 
			 April 2006 78 
			 May 2006 99 
			 June 2006 1,153 
			 July 2006 87 
			 August 2006 79 
			 September 2006 47,073 
			 October 2006 517 
			 November 2006 77 
			 December 2006 37,736 
			 January 2007 78 
			 February 2007 68 
			 March 2007 92 
			 April 2007 74 
			 May 2007 1,328 
			 June 2007 2,378 
			 July 2007 80 
			 August 2007 10,951 
			 September 2007 4,692 
			 October 2007 89 
			 November 2007 68,004 
			 December 2007 3,438 
			 January 2008 16,587 
			 February 2008 13,042 
			 March 2008 11,142 
		
	
	Expenditure varies considerably from month to month because most publications are purchased on subscription with one annual payment.

Developing Countries

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the principal proposals in the World Bank options paper of October 2007 on Government reforms to increase the voice of developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: The October 2007 paper contains a number of important proposals to increase the voting power and representation of developing countries at the World Bank. The principal proposals include: an increase in basic votes for all countries (which would primarily benefit the poorest countries); measures to strengthen the voice of developing countries at the Board of Executive Directors; and a review of the process for selecting the President of the Bank. The UK Government welcome these proposals and is actively engaged in discussions to reach agreement by April 2009 on a package of measures that will increase the voice of developing countries at the World Bank.

International Monetary Fund: Managers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his foreign counterparts on an open and merit-based selection of  (a) the International Monetary Fund's managing director and  (b) the World Bank's president.

Gareth Thomas: On 13 April 2008, at the World Bank Spring Meetings, the Secretary of State for International Development participated in a discussion with other World Bank Governors on voice and representationone element of which is the selection process of the World Bank President. The UK secured positive language on voice in the outcome document of the Spring Meetings, including the setting of a target date of April 2009 for agreement on a comprehensive package of reforms. The Chancellor of the Exchequer leads for the UK in discussions about the selection of the International Monetary Fund's Managing Director and has publicly stressed the importance of an open and merit-based selection process.

Iraq: Christianity

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid has been provided by his Department for members of Iraq's Christian minority who have fled the conflict in Iraq in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to improving the humanitarian situation both of internally displaced people in Iraq and of Iraqi refugees in the region. We have provided over 149 million in humanitarian assistance to international agencies working in Iraq and the region since 2003including 17 million this year. This funding has helped to provide immediate assistance such as food, shelter and medical supplies to the most vulnerable people in Iraq.
	We are aware of the fact that some groups may be particularly vulnerable due to ethnic or religious affiliation, such as the Christian minority. However, it is not the UK's policy to provide direct assistance to any particular religious group in Iraq. Rather, we channel our assistance through established international organisations, notably the United Nations, with a mandate to provide protection to all refugeesregardless of ethnicity or religionand to distribute aid to those who need it most.

Malawi: Health Education

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has allocated to  (a) tackle HIV/AIDS,  (b) improve other health services and  (c) improve education in Malawi in 2008-09.

Gillian Merron: For 2008-09, the Department for International Development (DFID) currently expects to spend from existing commitments:
	2.4 million on HIV/AIDS;
	18.8 million directly to the health sector; and
	10 million to improve education.
	DFID also plans to provide 22 million of poverty reducing budget support, of which, we would broadly expect 4.2 million to be spent on education and 4.4 million on health.
	In addition to direct DFID funding, in 2008-09, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria plan to provide around 46 million to fight HIV/AIDS in Malawi, and around 15 million to the health programme. The UK Government have made long-term commitments of 1 billion (2007-15) to the Global Fund. Over the three years commencing 2008, this counts for 7.5 per cent. of Global Fund resources.
	In 2008-09, the World Bank plan to provide around 4 million to support HIV/AIDS in Malawi and up to 2 million to health via budget support. It plans to provide up to 4.5 million directly and indirectly to education. The UK Government have made a three-year commitment of 2.13 billion to the World Bank's International Development Assistance round 15. This counts for 14 per cent. of new contributions to the World Bank.
	In 2008-09, the European Union is proposing to provide up to 4 million for health through project funding and indirectly through budget support for and up to 3.2 million to education via budget support. The UK provides more than 14 per cent. of all EU development funding.
	The UK Government have also committed 6 billion to strengthening health systems and services over seven years to 2015 in the updated AIDS strategy Achieving Universal Access - the UK's strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world.
	A copy of the updated strategy and supporting evidence paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. These are also available on the Department for International Development (DFID) website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from his Department plan to attend the Beijing Olympic Games; to what purpose in each case; and what estimate he has made of the cost.

Douglas Alexander: There are no plans for any Minister or officials from the Department for International Development to attend the Olympics in Beijing in an official capacity.